(Credit: Wissahickon School District).
The Wissahickon School District will take a little more time to decide who the next principal of the Middle School will be.
The position was narrowed down to three candidates, however, Superintendent James Crisfield announced that two of those candidates have unexpectedly withdrawn their applications.
“Given the significance of this position, we know it is imperative to have a larger pool of finalists than just one,” Crisfield said.
The school district will now seek additional candidates to fill the pool to fill this vital role. Crisfield assured Wissahickon parents that the change in hiring schedule will not impact the quality of the candidate.
“We are still in the best time of the year to search for a building leader, but we now are at the tail end of that window,” Crisfield said. “Acting quickly while maintaining a rigorous selection process is key to ensuring we secure the very best pool of candidates.”
Wissahickon reopened the application portal on March 14 and it will close on March 30. The first round of interviews is scheduled for early-to-mid April and second-round interviews are scheduled for mid-to-late April.
The school board is tentatively scheduled to appoint the new principal at its May 5 meeting.
The new principal would then officially begin its job on July 1
“The revised timeline only sets things back a little bit, but that slight delay in July (if there even is one) is a small price to pay for ensuring we stay true to our hiring philosophy and process,” Crisfield said.
The new principal will support approximately 1200 students in grades 6 to 8. The school district is seeking candidates with previous leadership experience and experience working with students in a middle school educational setting. The candidate must have excellent organizational, interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, as well as the ability to meet changing deadlines and schedules. A valid Pennsylvania Principal K-12 certification and master's degree in education is required.
"Wissahickon is searching for individuals who will foster equity and inclusion in our schools, seeking to create a learning community in which all students and staff are appreciated, inspired, and equipped to engage and excel," the school district said.
