Superintendent Search
Superintendent Search Update
June 17, 2020
In April the Board of Education (BOE) began the Superintendent Search process following the resignation of current Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice. Since his announcement, the BOE has appointed an interim superintendent, Dr. JeanAnn Paddyfote, and hired the New England School Development Council (NESDEC), an executive search firm, to guide the board through the search process.
In June NESDEC began the public outreach component of the search process. NESDEC consultant Dr. Elizabeth Osga conducted focus groups with teachers, support staff, administrators, parents and community members the week of June 8.
In addition to the focus groups, a public survey was launched on June 8. The survey is designed to obtain input from participants about the qualities, characteristics, skills, knowledge and experience that the new superintendent should possess in order to be a match for Madison’s needs. Over 200 individuals have participated in the survey to date and the public is reminded that the survey remains open through Friday, June 19.
Dr. Osga recently informed the board that there are already four applicants for the position of superintendent. While this is just the beginning of the process, Dr. Osga said the survey data, focus group participation, and the early handful of applicants are all indicators of a healthy start to the search process.
The BOE will continue to keep the public updated on the search process.
Invitation to Participate in Madison’s Superintendent Search Survey
An integral part of the superintendent search process involves student, staff, parent and community member participation in our online survey. The survey is designed to obtain input from participants about the qualities, characteristics, skills, knowledge and experience that the new superintendent should possess in order to be a match for Madison’s needs. Participants are also asked to provide input as to the immediate tasks and challenges the new superintendent should focus upon in his/her first year in the position.
All responses will be considered anonymous. The survey will be available online from June 8 through June 19.
Please consider participating in this outreach process. Your voice is valued and appreciated. Thank you for your involvement.
Invitation to Participate in the Superintendent Search Focus Groups
As most people in the community are aware, we have begun the process of searching for a new Superintendent of Schools. To that end, the Madison School District has engaged the services of the New England School Development Council (NESDEC) to assist in this important task.
Dr. Elizabeth Osga, a search consultant with NESDEC, will be assisting the Board of Education throughout the search process. As part of the process, NESDEC will be conducting a series of focus groups.
Focus groups are an important part of the process because they are designed to obtain the input of teachers, support staff, administrators, parents and community members about the attributes, experience and knowledge they believe the new superintendent should possess. The focus groups also provide an opportunity for participants to identify challenges upon which the new superintendent should concentrate.
Each focus group session will last approximately 1 – 1 ½ hours.
The scheduled focus group for parents and community members is Wednesday, June 10 at 7 p.m.
The parent and community member focus group will take place via Zoom.
The Madison Public School District and NESDEC hope that you will be able to participate. Please note that if you are not able to join in the online focus group, you can still provide input through an online survey which will be open via the Madison Public Schools website from June 8 through June 19. We thank you for your involvement.
Madison Board of Education Selects Executive Search Firm
May 27, 2020
The Board of Education is pleased to announce the hiring of the New England School Development Council (NESDEC) as its executive search firm. NESDEC will help guide the board’s Superintendent Search Committee through the search for and selection of a new superintendent for Madison Public Schools.
NESDEC has been serving New England school districts since 1946 and has conducted over 600 successful executive searches since its inception. The MPS NESDEC team will be led by Dr. Elizabeth Osga, a former Connecticut educator. MPS Superintendent Search Committee Chair Kirk Barneby said both NESDEC and Dr. Osga come highly recommended.
“The team at NESDEC is fantastic,” Barneby said. “We are thrilled to have someone as experienced as Dr. Osga guiding us through this process.”
The committee received and reviewed 14 proposals before making a decision. The NESDEC team, led by Dr. Osga, will begin working with the search committee on May 27,2020. All costs associated with hiring an executive search firm will come out of the current year budget.
Madison Board of Education Appoints Interim Superintendent
May 6, 2020
The Board of Education is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. JeanAnn Paddyfote as Interim Superintendent of Madison Public Schools. Dr. Paddyfote will fill the role following the departure of current Superintendent Thomas Scarice on July 1, 2020.
Dr. Paddyfote has over 45 years of experience in public education. She spent 36 years with New Milford Public Schools, holding various administrative positions including Superintendent of Schools, Interim Superintendent of Schools, and Assistant Superintendent of Student Services. She has an extensive background in special education, both as a special education teacher and as the Director of Pupil Personnel & Special Services for New Milford Public Schools, a position she held for 21 years.
Following her retirement from New Milford Public Schools, Dr. Paddyfote held interim superintendent positions at Avon Public Schools and Ridgefield Public Schools. Board of Education Chair Katie Stein said Dr. Paddyfote comes highly recommended.
“The Board of Education is very pleased to welcome Dr. JeanAnn Paddyfote to Madison Public Schools,” said Stein. “She brings with her a wealth of administrative experience in public education and special education. We are thrilled to have such a respected and experienced administrator in place to lead our district in these challenging times.”
Dr. Paddyfote said she looks forward to her future position with Madison Public Schools.
“I am excited to serve as Interim Superintendent of Madison Public Schools,” she said. “The district has an outstanding reputation and I am eager to work collaboratively with all stakeholders. We are in unprecedented times and over the summer we need to ensure our students, staff, and parents are well prepared for what learning will look like in the 20-21 school year. Those next steps are undefined and will become clearer this summer. I also look forward to working in partnership with the Board of Education to ensure there is a smooth transition in leadership.”
Superintendent Search Committee Update
April 23, 2020
The Superintendent Search Committee is currently meeting on a weekly basis. On April 22, the committee formally began the search for an interim superintendent. The interim will fill the role while the committee looks for a new permanent superintendent.
The committee also decided to move forward with using an executive search firm to assist with finding a new superintendent. Using an executive search firm is standard practice when filling a position like this and prior Madison boards of education have relied on search firms to find new superintendents in the past. Any costs associated with hiring an executive search firm will come out of the current year budget.
Statement from the Board of Education Regarding Superintendent Search Process
The Board of Education (BOE) met on April 7, 2020 to formally accept Thomas Scarice’s resignation as Superintendent of Madison Public Schools.
The board then formed a superintendent search committee. The committee, comprised of all nine board members, will determine the process for filling the position and will consciously seek input from stakeholders including faculty, community members, and parents throughout the search.
As this process gets underway, the board is committed to protecting the excellence in education we have here in Madison. More information will be shared with the public in the coming weeks and months.
Katie Stein
Chair, Madison Board of Education