By Jessica Corbett, Executive Editor
The third and final round of the principal search will take place today, when student and community groups question the candidates.
Director of Educational Services Erika Schlichter, who is helping to coordinate the search, divided the search into a three-step process.
In the first round, she screened 18 of nearly 70 applicants and narrowed the pool down to four or five.Those applicants moved on to round two, which took place on Feb. 1 and consisted of an interview with the department chairs, an interview with district office administration and a performance task, where applicants were challenged to complete some typical administrator tasks.
Schlichter said the purpose of round two was “to really dig down to see if they have the skills we would want for somebody to be put in a principal position.”
The district is seeking someone who is well-rounded, can support the learning community, and will capitalize on momentum for furthering the four-year improvement plan, which is currently in its second year, Schlichter said.
“Dr. [Greg] Fantozzi and the administration have set a great base. We want somebody who will fit in with that and keep that momentum,” she said. “What we’re going to be looking at is the overall picture.”
So what will become of Fantozzi? Fantozzi, who has served as interim principal for the last two years, has been coordinating the student interview group with Assistant Principal Ian Smith.
“[Dr. Fantozzi] really has a wealth of experience and knowledge, so we want to make sure we don’t ignore that going forward,” Schlichter said. “He has offered to help in any way we need him, so we definitely appreciate that.”
Schlichter said the school is “on target” in the four-year improvement plan, which consists of five different strands-a shared vision and knowledge of the Kaneland Learning Community, a viable guaranteed core curriculum, common system of assessments, a pyramid of interventions for struggling students and high-functioning collaborative teams. Principal candidates are expected to help KHS stay on target with the four-year improvement plan.
The third round of interviews will take place today. For round three, two groups-one comprised of members of the Student Advisory Committee, and one of community members-will question the candidates. Each group has a different set of concerns, so questions between the two will vary, but each candidate will be asked the same questions.
Student opinions about what they want in a new principal varied.
Junior Frankie Furco said he wants someone who will be fair to the students, “has experience and knows what they’re doing.”
The applicants will also speak to the high school faculty today, in what Schlichter described as a “mock faculty meeting.”
Feedback from all three groups will be filtered back to Schuler and Schlichter, who will then make a recommendation to the board. The Board of Education makes the final decision.
“We hope to bring the process to a close before the end of February,” Schlichter said.