In a superintendent hire last week, the School District of Lancaster’s board of directors chose an out-of-state candidate even though its own survey showed students and teachers overwhelmingly supported one of the other finalists for the job.
That other finalist happened to be the Pennsylvania district’s acting superintendent, Matt Przywara, who more than 92% of those who participated in the survey strongly recommended as Lancaster’s next leader. The poll was taken after members of the public met with each of the three finalists for the post.
The board of directors ultimately hired Rocky Torres, currently the assistant superintendent of student services for Seattle Public Schools. He will take the helm in Lancaster in July. Until then, Przywara, who had been the district’s chief of finance and operations, will continue to serve as acting superintendent.
“The board arrived at its initial decision through a process that it feels 1) has been transparent, 2) included multiple data points, and is 3) exclusively focused on finding the person who the board feels is best qualified to lead the primary focus of the district and its schools: ensuring student success,” the board said of its final decision in a note that accompanied the release of the survey results.
On Friday, students, teachers and others staged a 30-minute walkout at the district’s high school in support of Przywara.
Several more superintendent hires
In perhaps the highest profile hire of the week, Kansas City Public School chose Jennifer Collier as its next superintendent after she had served as interim superintendent since July.
Collier has worked for the Missouri district for 22 years, having also worked as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, chief human resources officer and deputy superintendent.
In Colorado, Littleton Public Schools outside Denver picked Todd Lambert to replace outgoing Superintendent Brian Ewert this summer. Lambert is currently superintendent of the Warrick County School Corporation in Indiana and has previously worked in other districts in that state and in Colorado. Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD outside Dallas has named Wendy Eldredge as the lone finalist for its open superintendent’s post. Eldredge has been the superintendent of Crandall ISD since in 2019.
Here’s a rundown of some of the other recent comings and goings in K12’s top jobs:
- Ashtabula Area City Schools has opened contract negotiations with Lisa Newsome to serve as the Ohio district’s next superintendent, the Star Beacon reported.
- Interim superintendent Dan Schlotfeldt has been appointed the new leader of the Snoqualmie Valley School District in Washington.
- Superintendent John Millay will resign from the Martin County School District in Florida this summer, WPTV reported.
- Enid Public Schools Superintendent Darrell Floyd, who has served the district since 2014, will step down in June.
- Superintendent Scott Grimes will leave Iowa’s Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District in June, KCCI reported.
Two in two weeks: Another superintendent loses his job after bringing a gun to school
