By Zorian Edwards, Editor-In-Chief
On March 11, the PENNCREST School Board voted 9-0 (unanimously) in favor of Shawn Ford assuming the role of superintendent. The board meeting was held at Maplewood Elementary school with around thirty people in attendance.
The board members on the search committee for the new superintendent included Allison Beers, Theresa Lugo, and Randy Styborski.
“Thank you to the IU5 whom PENNCREST contracted with to conduct the executive search,” Theresa Lugo said. “The IU5 staff spent hours of time screening candidates. Thank you to the committee members for the countless hours of evening interviews.”
Brad Whitman was an influential person when it came to the superintendent search at PENNCREST. He serves as an executive director of Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit 5 (IU5), the state’s regional education services agency for Crawford, Erie and Warren counties. His agency was hired in October to assist with the superintendent search.
Whitman revealed that two candidates withdrew from consideration for the position.
“It was a very lengthy process, but it was a very well-done process,” Whitman said during the board meeting on March 11. “That’s meaningful that you saw tonight a 9-0 vote for the gentleman that I’m going to introduce.”
How did this happen?
The search for a new superintendent wasn’t an easy one for PENNCREST. In the absence of the former superintendent, the school board held a special voting meeting to hire a new superintendent prior to welcoming our new board members. This special voting meeting was to consider three candidates to assume the role of superintendent despite the lack of advertising for the position.
This meeting was met with heavy criticism from the crowd in attendance and in the community, which consisted of around 150 people. Out of those people, 17 total community members asked for the board to reconsider their course of action.
The audience officially got what they wanted and a search committee for a superintendent was formed. Brad Whitman and his agency were hired to help with the search for superintendent, and this delivered.
According to The Meadville Tribune, “Board President Bob Johnson said that after ‘the first debacle,’ the search had gone smoothly, with nothing coming of the concerns over access to applications. When asked if he was happy with the outcome, he said, ‘Oh, absolutely,’” after the meeting on March 11.
You can find more information here
Who is Shawn Ford?
Shawn Ford grew up in Crawford County, making this new position a sort of homecoming for him. He graduated from Cochranton High School and comes to the district from the DuBois Area School District. Ford has had experience as a superintendent, a principal, and a vice superintendent. Ford spent the first 18 years of his educational career at Crawford Central School District, giving him a large amount of experience both as a superintendent and knowing how things happen inside a school building.
“I’m thrilled to be back in Crawford County and grateful for the opportunity to lead PENNCREST School District,” Ford told Erie News Now. “I’m deeply committed to building collaborative partnerships with all stakeholders to ensure every student acquires the essential academic, college/career, and life skills needed for success in today’s ever changing world. Additionally, the Board of Education and I are dedicated to rebuilding community trust through respectful engagement, constructive dialogue, and addressing the current challenges facing the district.”
He is very thankful for this opportunity and excited to get started this summer as superintendent. “I want to do a lot of learning and a lot of listening before I do a lot of leading,” Ford Said.
For more Information please check out the links below:
The Panther Press 