A Matter of Transparent Process

(This was written by Diane Greenwald)
I know we are all concerned about this district tax issue, but I want to mention a related topic of concern. About a month ago, the Board of Education asked that parents give input about the interim superintendent process, and so I offered a suggestion. I thought it best that they appoint a neutral interim, someone who would clearly not want the job long-term, and that would give Scarsdale a year to take stock of district strengths and weaknesses, review our community values, and build trust in a well-detailed process. Instead, the Board announced that our current Assistant Superintendent of Personnel, Dr. Andrew Patrick, hired by Dr. Hagerman in 2016, has been named interim Superintendent. The announcement comes with his strong credentials and willingness for “seamless transition” but without process explanation, and while there may be good reasons for promoting from within, there are also worries. I have questions.

What was the process of interim selection? How many were considered? Does the board have an agreement with Dr. Patrick about his role, like, is Dr. Patrick now ineligible to apply for the permanent post or is he the “heir apparent”? This decision may be signaling to the educational community that the job is filled. How will the board counter this notion to attract wide, national interest in the position? Who will fill Dr. Patrick’s current, critical role? Will that be filled with another interim and what will that person be promised? The Board appears to be holding Dr. Patrick’s place for him in personnel if they don’t hire him as permanent superintendent, but is that a realistic outcome?

The board announcement mentions valuing continuity, something we can all understand, but student continuity comes mostly from the building-level leadership and teachers (thank you, principals and teachers!) District continuity may not be the singular priority for some of us who have serious concerns about district management. Considering issues like low teacher morale, fragile student wellness, uncertain public heath, limited strategic support for long-term financial decisions, looming environmental requirements, and these very troubling tax-payment errors, maybe the district could use someone with independent and fresh eyes?

Moving forward, the board has the big responsibility to hire the superintendent, but I would appreciate a greater measure of process transparency that can generate optimism and build trust. Dr. Patrick may be a qualified and talented future superintendent, but this community deserves an open hiring posture, particularly given the absence of women and people of color represented in senior leadership.

In his open letter dated April 5, Bob Berg also asks for honest dealings and he is right to. While I am no conspiracy theorist and rarely agree with Berg on much, I am uncomfortable with the board's ignorance, though he goes too far to call our board liars. More likely, this episode demonstrates a district culture of secrecy that has gone way too far. It feels disrespectful to stakeholders, to the board, and overall, it doesn’t pass the smell test. At minimum, we need the culture to change.

Each of the critical decisions currently facing this district demand a renewed commitment to open dialogue, frequent updates, detailed information, and clear rationales that respect our intelligence. Some information is not for everyone and for good reasons. But the board and administration should not overplay that notion and forget to inform the public about our children, our tax dollars and the decisions that matter to us, the good and the difficult. We are talking about educating our children, not protecting state secrets.

For the benefit of the children, I sincerely wish our leadership success. And I hope the board remembers that Scarsdale is a stable, well-funded and strongly supported district, with stellar faculty, engaged parents, and great kids. We have much to offer, including professional respect with salaries to match. But clearly there are issues and there are some in Scarsdale, including me, who will need assurances that the board and Dr. Patrick, even for this one upcoming year, will welcome accountability and improve our community trust.