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Community Input Invited on School Budget and New Superintendent
By Nancy Blecher-Cannavo, Winsted
Nancy Blecher-Cannavo is Chairman of the Winchester Board of Education.
The Winchester Board of Education's Finance Committee is conducting a focus group to obtain input from community members and parents on the proposed education budget for 2003-04. On behalf of the Board, I would like to invite you to come and participate in this group meeting on Thursday, January 30 at 7 p.m. in the Pearson School Media Center, to share your thoughts on what is important to you in the educational budget of the Town of Winchester. Decisions will soon be made regarding the budget, so please come out and advocate for programs you believe are essential to the Town of Winchester's children.
On February 3, Dr. George Goens and Dr. Louis Esparo, consultants for the Winchester Board of Education, will conduct a series of focus groups to obtain feedback on the qualities and characteristics desired in a new Superintendent of Schools. Town officials, teachers, school administrators, non-certified staff members, parents and community members will participate in focus groups. The feedback from these groups will be given to the Board of Education and incorporated in a leadership and management profile that will be used in identifying candidates that best fit the requirements, of the Winchester schools and community.
Members of the general public can participate in this process on Monday, February 3 at 7 p.m. in the Pearson Middle School Media Center. The Winchester Board of Education believes that input from community members and others into the process is very important and integral to selecting a new Superintendent to lead and manage the school district.
Applications will be taken for the Superintendent position through March 15 through Goens/ Esparo, LLC. Recruitment and advertising activities are taking place, as well as background checks and candidate screening. The interview process is tentatively scheduled for the second week of April. A series of semi-finalists will be interviewed, from which several finalists will be selected. The Board expects to name a new superintendent by July 1, 2003, or shortly thereafter.
We have established a sound process we think will identify a high quality leader for our schools as we move into a new school year. We are confident that we can attract a large talent pool from which to select a superintendent. This is a very important decision and we are approaching it seriously and professionally.
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