On Thursday, Jan.4, the Guilderland board of education met to discuss the qualiafications they are seeking for the district’s successor to Superintendent Greg Aidala, who will be retiring in November after six years of serving in the district’s top administrative role.
The board had came up with four questions following Aidala’s retirement announcement that they determined would help them find the most suitable replacement:
What are the strengths of the school district?
What are the challenges facing the district?
What characteristics should the new superintendent possess?
What issues should be approached first?
The board first discussed these questions at their meeting on Jan. 4, and board president Richard Weisz said the board will now move to seek community input.
We did the same thing the community is going to be asked to do on Wednesday, Jan. 10, and Thursday, Jan. 18, said Weisz.
Just as the board explored answers to the four questions, the community will also have a chance to do just that on two nights, and will address the school board as well as BOCES District Superintendent Barbara Nagler and Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Kathryn Gerbino, who are conducting the candidate recruitment process for the school district.
Nagler said as BOCES district superintendent she serves as a liaison for the state education department to the 25 school districts that she serves. In more than nine years in her current position, Nagler estimated that she has participated in 30 superintendent searches.
`We work with school districts any way that they need to help them be successful,` said Nagler.
In this case, Nagler said she would work with Guilderland to develop brochures, advertisements and to conduct the initial screening of candidates, then pass along the results to the board. The board would then choose eight candidates based on those who best satisfy the requirements set forth by the board with community recommendations.
`The board has to determine what it is most looking for in a superintendent,` said Nagler.
Each district presents unique challenges, according to Nagler.
`What makes each school district’s search different is each school has its own culture,` she said, including size and parent involvement. Nagler said that like Guilderland, many more districts have begun to get their community involved in the process of finding superintendents.
`Guilderland is big on shared-decision making,` said Weisz.
At the time of Aidala’s announcement, Weisz said, `We’re looking for the kind of things that a successful district of 5,800 students would look for in their chief officer.`
At that same time, Weisz said he thought that Aidala had been committed and dedicated in his six years as the district superintendent.
`I think he’s been a terrific superintendent and I’m disappointed he’s choosing to leave,` said Weisz, acknowledging that it was a personal decision on Aidala’s part.
Aidala said that his decision to retire at the age of 56 wasn’t because of any dissatisfaction he’s had with the district.
`This has, professionally and personally, been a very rewarding experience for me in Guilderland,` said Aidala.
Aidala spent 34 years as a teacher, administrator and also a superintendent in the Salem Central school district. He called his time spent in Guilderland the `pinnacle of his career` and said he is now ready to move on.
Nagler said that she thought the district was happy with Greg Aidala’s service.
`I think if they had a clone, they’d be OK,` she said.“
