Click here for part 7 – “Crossword Answers”
Emma Hutchins & Peter Lacerenza
Opinions Editor & Media Director
With the announcement of Principal Tony Pavia’s retirement on November 11, the school district has quickly begun the search for his successor.
In a follow-up press release by the New Canaan Public School District, it was made clear that the Board of Education — along with a committee of directors, high school department chairs, administrators, parents, guidance counselors, and teachers — is undertaking an extensive search process in order to find his replacement.
Part of this effort involved the hiring of Eliza Holcomb, a senior consultant for Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) Search Services to aid the district in its search. Ms. Holcomb brings considerable experience and a wealth of contacts throughout the state. Her assistance is expected to help yield a deeper and more talented group of candidates.
On December 7, the committee held its first meeting. During this meeting, strategies for approaching the process were discussed. Due to the confidentiality of the committee, members were unable to comment on the nature of this meeting. It is speculated that the committee might later appoint a single person to communicate to the press.
As this process begins to unfold, students have voiced their opinions regarding their perceived importance of a principal and role with respect to student life.
“A good principal really makes the school,” said senior Christina Marder. “What everyone loves about Mr. Pavia is that he knows almost everyone’s name, and greets them and treats them like they are important. A principal definitely has a huge effect on whether or not the students enjoy being part of the school community.”
Sophomore Neal Koller agreed that the principal plays an important role in creating a cohesive school environment. “The principal is the glue that holds the entire school together. He or she has the respect of the entire student body, and many people look up to them. They affect student life because they are always there for you no matter what.”
While the principal serves a key role in the lives of students, it is his or her personal qualities that leave a lasting impression, and will thus be important in the selection of a new principal.
“I think the school is very supportive of learning at the highest level, though sometimes the pressure can be overwhelming,” junior Ben Katz said. “I think [Mr. Pavia’s replacement] should understand what we’re all going through, and be able to relate with us very well. More importantly, they should be personable.”
Neal shared similar sentiments. “I think that leadership, a sense of humor, and fun loving personality are definitely the most important qualities that Mr. Pavia’s replacement should have,” he said.
When a new principal enters an existing school culture, some changes are likely to be made, although students have expressed aspects of student life they hope to retain under Mr. Pavia’s successor.
“I definitely think that the school environment is generally very accepting and supportive, and that should be carried on by Mr. Pavia’s successor,” sophomore Liz O’Sullivan said. “We have a lot of freedom, which lets us focus on what we want to learn and do personally.”
Christina added that the tradition of the trusting relationship between the school’s staff and the students should also be continued. “I think one of the best parts of NCHS culture is that the faculty do, for the most part, trust their students, and allow them to be in charge of their own success,” she said. “I also like how the high school stresses the importance of a tight-knit supportive community with things like the leadership program, Bussey’s Bomb Squad, Names Can Hurt and Homecoming. I think a new principal can maintain these unique aspects of our school by being understanding, helpful, enthusiastic, tolerant, but still be organized and keep everything in line.”
While the students and faculty will clearly miss Mr. Pavia’s presence, some recognized the benefit of introducing someone with a fresh perspective to the high school. “It might be nice to have someone new directing the school, and have a fresh change, but we’ll always remember Mr. Pavia,” Liz said.
Looking forward, Mr. Pavia expressed his own hopes for the new principal. “My advice is really simple: don’t forget that this is a people business,” he said. “The business of education has become so fixated on test scores, it’s easy to forget when looking at student achievement. One must pay that rent before doing anything.”
One thought on “Part 6 – Taking the next step: finding Mr. Pavia’s replacement”
Comments are closed.