With two administrative positions open, the Guilderland Central School District is looking for someone with the right stuff to lead them to excellence next year.
The district officially opened up the application process posting positions to replace Westmere Elementary Principal Deborah Drumm, who will be retiring at the end of the school year, and former high school principal Michael Pauolino, who is now serving as interim principal of Doyle Middle School in Troy.
Brian McCann has been serving as the acting Guilderland High School principal. He did not return Spotlight calls inquiring if he would apply for the permanent position.
Lin Severance, assistant superintendent for human resources in the district, said McCann is eligible to apply for the position like any other candidate, and added she said she hopes he does. She said his long history with the district is a benefit.
He’s doing a phenomenal job in our opinion, she said.
The job openings were posted in newspapers and on the district’s Web site Friday, Jan. 30, and will be closing after the February recess ends Monday, Feb. 23, Severance said.
An interview search team will consider the applications through March and April in a two-step process for each position.
Severance said she expects a good number of applications and is `not worried about attracting candidates.`
Severance said the two searches will be handled separately. While the high school has seen a high turnover of principals in recent years, Westmere has had the same principal for six years.
Deborah Drumm has been the Westmere Elementary School principal since 2003, and before that served as an elementary school principal for 12 years in Beekmantown near Plattsburgh.
She started her career as an elementary school teacher, and then served as a staff developer at Shenendohowa and in Plattsburgh. She said her time as a staff developer sparked her interest in administration, and she pursued a degree at the College of Saint Rose.
Drumm, born and raised in Guilderland, said she is ready to spend some time with her husband, children and grandchildren.
`My career has gone full circle. My time here at Westmere Elementary has truly been the highlight of my career,` she said.
She said the collaborative environment has been a pleasure, and she enjoyed her time a great deal.
She offered a word of advice to her successor: `Always value teamwork. Everyone’s opinions are important.`
Severance said she is planning a meeting with the faculty and other district officials Thursday, Feb. 5, to discuss what characteristics they are seeking for both positions.
`Do they need a high level of excitement, or quiet leadership skills?`
Severance said. `We’re looking for someone to provide strong leadership and be a stabling influence at the high school.`
She said sometimes you need a `spark` and sometimes you do not necessarily need to shake things up when changing leadership roles.
Westmere was recently awarded the honor of the prestigious Blue Ribbon Award, and Severance said it is one of the best elementary schools in the area.
`I want to keep the positive momentum going,` Severance said.
She said the district will be searching for a principal that maintains that standard of excellence.
`As a district, what we are looking for is someone who is an instructional leader,` Severance added.
She said both positions call for someone child-centered and up on current trends and strategies to better teach students, not simply a manager.
`It’s easy to find someone who can run a building, she said. `We need someone who understands the instructional process.` “