The Upper Perkiomen School board will utilize the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit to help hire a new superintendent. The MCIU, a regional educational service agency based in Norristown, will run the search process for new candidates at no additional cost, according to board President Kerry Drake. Members hope to appoint Dr. Alexis McGloin's successor at their April 11 public meeting.

            According to Drake, the agency will identify candidates throughout Pennsylvania as well as New Jersey and Delaware during a search that could take one to two months. He said multiple board executive sessions have been scheduled to review candidate resumes and conduct interviews and that Ashley Kitten, the district's Director of Human Resources, will coordinate with the MCIU on the search.

            The members also considered utilizing the Pennsylvania School Board Association, according to the board president. However, they settled on the MCIU – which provides "dynamic, visionary leadership and effective, efficient services for constituent school districts, schools and students," according to its mission statement – to help find a new school leader.

            "They've done this before," Vice President Mike Elliot said Monday morning. "We wanted to open up the process to see who and what we could get."

            John George, the MCIU's executive director, will work with board members to conduct a customized search for a new superintendent, according to information posted on the agency's website. It states that the search process includes "thoughtful planning and goal setting, a sound recruitment plan, a thorough review process, intensive selection activities, and effective communication of the results."

            The MCIU will conduct extensive research into applicants' qualifications and experiences.  However, the selection of the successful candidate is solely the decision of the board of directors of school district, according to the site.

            The Upper Perkiomen School District seeks "a dynamic, collaborative, relationship-oriented individual with integrity, visionary leadership, superior communication skills, and an outstanding, transparent administrative ability to lead a diverse district of approximately 3,380 students, according to its website. It states that the desired candidate must possess experience in achieving high academic performance, creating academic equity, and sound school finance and business management; excellent verbal and written communication and leadership skills; experience with development and implementation of curriculum; knowledge of educational and technological best practices; and success in community engagement and involvement."

            Speaking for himself, Elliot described the ability to collaborate and communicate as two of the most important candidate qualifications.  "I'll know it when I see it," he said.

            According to Drake, the board should focus on achievement and collaboration. He wants to create an environment where the best ideas proposed by all stakeholders take hold.

"Setting up that kind of an environment should be a key task for the board," Drake said Wednesday morning. "We need to make sure all students are prepared for the future. We should utilize the best methods possible to attain those goals, and use them as a lens to look at any future expenditure."

In November, McGloin announced, in an email message to the district staff, that she would not seek to renew her five-year contract, which expires June 30, 2019.

            The school board voted to accept the notice from McGloin that she is not seeking a renewal of her contract. Earlier this month, the school board made it official by voting to accept her decision.

            In a Nov. 28 email sent to the Town and Country, McGloin stated that she wanted to allow the district ample time to find a new superintendent. 

            "My intent is to remain in the district through the end of my contract and assist in the transition to a new superintendent," McGloin wrote in a Dec. 3 email message to district staff.

"I am so very proud of the work we completed during my time in the district, and I am fully confident in the direction the district is heading," the superintendent wrote.

            "I am certain that the district will continue to thrive, long after my tenure as superintendent comes to a close, thanks to the dedicated and exceptional individuals that make up Upper Perk."

            McGloin described her administrative team as stellar, the faculty as top notch, and the students as exceptional. 

            "The broader Upper Perk community is incredibly tight-knit, and I've said time and again that I, and the district as a whole, greatly appreciate the community's support, no matter what success or challenge we are facing," she wrote. "Thank you for making the past nearly five years memorable, and I look forward to seeing you in the coming months."

                The public is invited to tell the board members what kind of leader is preferred. Submit your feedback on a quick and easy survey here: https://www.research.net/r/VBPFFBJ.