Superintendent search includes 11 applicants
by Stacy Gill/EDITOR
Sep 13, 2012 | 1488 views | 2 2 comments | 19 19 recommendations | email to a friend | print
The search for a new superintendent to lead the Zachary Community School District continues with the Sept. 4 departure of Warren Drake.

A Steering Committee led by School Board member Gaynell Young met Sept. 5 to review the list of 11 applicants vying for the position. It will decide which applicants to interview Sept. 25 and 26, and then narrow those applicants to two or three finalists on Oct. 4.

The board will make its final decision Oct. 25.

Applicants include Scott Devillier, former Zachary High Principal and current Director of Operations for the district. Devillier has a master's degree in education.

• Patrick Jenkins, retired military, also with a master's in education, is the Principal of Port Hudson Career Academy and a former principal of Northwestern and Zachary Elementary.

• Michelle Clayton, Ph.D., is an education consultant and former Director of Academic Accountability and Instruction for the ZCSD from 2003-12.

• Alonzo Luce, Ph.D., of Gonzales, has been superintendent of St. James Parish schools since 2007.

• Charles Michel, of Metairie, has a doctoral degree and is the supervisor of special education for the Lafourche Parish School System.

• Phillip Burchfield, Ed.D., is from Clinton, Miss., and superintendent of Clinton Public Schools.

• Deborah Moran, of Kiln, Miss., has a doctoral degree and is a retired superintendent of the Water Valley School District in Water Valley, Miss.

• Gregory Hutchings, Jr., of Alexandria, Va., has a doctoral degree and is the director of Pre-K thru 12th-grade initiatives for Alexandria city schools in Virginia.

• Darrell Treece, of Columbia, Ky., has a master's degree in education and is a retired superintendent of Adair County Schools in Columbia, Ky.

• Arthur Guttlieb has a master's in education and is from Queensbury, New York, where he is an adjunct professor at College of St. Joseph.

• Arthur Steller, Ph.D., is from Hingham, Mass., and is an education consultant. He was the superintendent of schools in Massachusetts and in N. Carolina.

The committee also discussed interview and applicant screening processes and reviewed results from a community survey, which is found on the school board website at www.zacharyschools.org under the 'Announcements' section.

Deadline for taking the community survey is Friday, Sept. 21.

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Melancon27
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September 13, 2012
As much as some residents of St. James Parish would like to see Dr. Luce leave, we are certain that this will not be his chance. To provide a fair assessment of his work in St. James Parish, we have seen growth in technology and construction. However, our school district continues to struggle greatly with students’ academic performance, especially at schools with a large Title 1 population. Dr. Luce is great at ACQUIRING technology but I question his ability to integrate technology into curriculum and instruction in a way that tremendously impacts student growth and academic achievement. He is able to provide a rich technological infrastructure for creating a more efficient system. For example, he has moved our district forward in terms of online grading systems, smart boards, sophisticated telephone systems, and his 1-to -1 Laptop Program. However, it is evident from the results of student performance that his implementation of technology is not useful in any way to drive student achievement. Take a look at the data for student performance in St. James Parish and you will have a clear idea of the points I am stressing here. Under Dr. Luce's administration, we have experienced school closure, some schools declined and some are in corrective action for subgroup performance. Also, to say that he has this expertise for technology, please look at our district’s website(stjames.k12.la.us) and measure the quality of its presentation and usefulness for acquiring information. While I will acknowledge his ability to advance the use of technology for building a more efficient system, there is no evidence to demonstrate that he is an “academic” superintendent that knows how to develop, deliver and maintain high-quality curriculum and instruction. And it was quite apparent that he was not savvy enough to surround himself with strong leaders who could provide the type of curriculum and instruction needed for all children to perform well. Unfortunately, we in St. James Parish have to struggle with this issue and have paid him over $130,000.00 to be a C school district. Now he wants to leave with our district lacking so much stability.

Signed,

Kody Joseph Melancon

St. James Parish Resident
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dotdickinson
|
September 13, 2012
For 15 years I was a teacher in a private school in Baton Rouge. I saw a string of people "imported" from other areas of the country who just didn't understand our people and our culture. They failed miserably at the task.

I urge the School Board to find someone who is from the area. Being from a distant place doesn't make one an expert. I was hoping they would hire from within to ensure a seamless transition.
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