Press Release - Looking for a Dynamic Leader
North Salem CSD Seeks New Principal for PQ Elementary
The North Salem Central School District has begun recruitment of a new principal for Pequenakonck Elementary School, whose current principal will be retiring at the end of the school year.
The district is advertising in the New York Times and Education Week for a dynamic educational leader who places a premium on critical and creative thinking. PQ is a school of approximately 575 students, and is currently led by Roberta Reiner, who has worked in the district in this capacity since 1998 and is retiring at the end of the school year.
“Leadership transitions are always incredibly important,” said Dr. Kenneth Freeston, Superintendent of Schools. “But never as much as they are today, when our school principals are at the forefront of managing change on a scale that has likely never been experienced in the public schools of New York.”
In its advertisements, the district notes that it is seeking ‘an expert educator and leader who places a premium on critical and creative thinking, along with a willingness to embrace and exercise excellent teacher evaluation processes in the advancement of our professionalism.’ Screenings for prospective candidates are expected to begin shortly, and the selected candidate will begin the position on August 1st.
In advance of the interviews with candidates, the Superintendent will hold focus groups with staff, parents, and faculty members to hear about the personal and professional attributes desired in the new principal.
“Beginning with the next school year, all school principals in the state will, for the first time, be responsible for a much more expansive evaluation of teaching staff,” said Dr. Freeston. “That has to be expertly managed, along with the substantial and ongoing changes in student assessments. But we won’t lose sight of the fact that our next leader at PQ must also meet the conventional expectations of our community, as measured by warmth, creativity, critical thinking, and a devotion to the development of each North Salem child.”
A detailed list of qualifications for the position can be found at OLAS
https://www.pnwboces.org/teacherapplicationssl/
#NSAV0050526-1012. Application deadline is June 1, 2012.
“This is the end of one era, and the beginning of a new one,” said Dr. Freeston. “We congratulate Roberta on the conclusion of her career, and look forward to welcoming a new member of the family to our district.”
North Salem Teachers Win National Recognition
Cynthia Sandler and Tom DiGaetano have been awarded the honorable mention for The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) SIGMS Technology Innovation Award. This national award is awarded to a team of a “school librarian and collaborating teacher who have conducted an exemplary technology program extending beyond the library to meet the needs of classroom students and teachers.”
For the project, 8th grade science students worked together to research planets and the solar system, write “news” reports, act out their scenes, shoot and produce an Astronomy Newscast in our developing Broadcast Studio. Students used green screen technology to create striking backgrounds in post production
The awards committee stated that “the judges were impressed with the level of innovation, technology, and collaboration displayed by North Salem with your Astronomy Newscast.”