Principal Searches: 2 Finalists for Greeley, 3 for Roaring Brook

Chappaqua school officials are closing in on candidates for their principal searches.

In an update from Superintendent Lyn McKay at Tuesday's school board meeting, it was announced that there are two finalists for the search at and three for .

The number of finalists is a sharp contrast to the total applicant pools. Numbers reported by the district show a total of 147 applied for Greeley at 197 for Roaring Brook, with some applying for both jobs. The application process ran from Dec. 11, when ads were placed in The New York Times and Education Weekly, to Jan. 12.

The first interview rounds were recently held, according to Paul Citarella, the interim assistant superintendent for human resources. The took place on Jan. 18-19 for Greeley and Jan. 25-26 for Roaring Brook. Both meetings included interviews by advisory committees for each school.

“We were very pleased to be able to have those candidates emerge as a result of the committee work," said McKay, who added that the committee members' names won't be released yet for confidentiality reasons. The members will be announced once recommendations for the jobs are set.

The facilitators for the committees, Douglas G. Grafflin elementary principal Michael Kirsch and Westorchard elementary principal James Skoog, emphasized that the interview process is rigorous.

“We engaged in a rigorous and inclusive selection process that we anticipate will result in hiring highly qualified principals for Horace Greeley High School and for Roaring Brook Elementary School," Kirsch said.

The Greeley committee is made up of 12 and includes teachers, parents and students, Kirsch said, while the Roaring Brook committee of 14 includes each group minus the students.

The interview questions given were formulated through themes that developed during a series of public meetings that administrators held at the schools. Themes desired for a Roaring Brook principal, according to Citarella included: someone who understands family, being a risk taker, being a leader, having a sense of humor and someone who knows academic instruction. The Greeley principal themes were: someone who is a good communicator, being able to connect the school different groups, respecting groups, being aware of stress in school and helping to fix it, having a sense of humor and strength in the curriculum.

Going forward, the second interview rounds will be held on Feb. 3 and 6 for Greeley and Feb. 7-9 for Roaring Brook. According to Skoog, the second round will involve 11-hour days, from 7:15 a.m. to 6 p.m., and involve a marathon of interviews with stakeholders at the schools, including teachers and parents, interviews with the school board then interviews with McKay. The candidates will be asked to do writing samples and name intiatives they were involved in professionally.

The third rounds, Feb. 7 for Greeley and Feb. 13 for Roaring Brook, will involve building tours with McKay and Eric Byrne, the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction (he was Roaring Brook principal before taking his current job last summer). The intent of the visits, Skoog explained, will focus on observing of instruction from the candidates.

The goal is for McKay to have recommended picks for the school board by late February or early March.