Search begins for new superintendent

WINSTED — The Board of Education has announced a series of focus groups will be held on Monday, May 5, as part of its search for a new superintendent of schools.Current Superintendent of Schools Thomas Danehy submitted his letter of resignation to the board on April 10.As part of the search, the board has retained the services of educational consultant George Goens, who lives in Litchfield.According to Board of Education Chairman Susan Hoffnagle, Goens will be paid $1,000 for his consulting services.As part of his services, Goens will be conducting focus groups with employees and administrators from all three schools.Goens is scheduled to hold a focus group for the public on May 5 at 6 p.m. at the Hinsdale Elementary School library.“We wanted to get community input for the search results,” Hoffnagle said. “A focus group is almost like a public hearing but with specific groups. I think its important to find out what people think we need in a superintendent. Some people might say we need someone with a finance background because we have had trouble in the past with finances, while others might want somebody with a strong curriculum background. This will be an opportunity for people to voice their opinions.”Hoffnagle said the school district will not hire a search consultant to help with the search process.“A consultant can cost about $10,000,” she said. “If we are not able to get enough applicants, then we can talk about hiring a consultant. Now is the right time of year to post the vacancy because this is when superintendents usually switch jobs.”The school district has issued a schedule for its search process: The first round of interviews for a superintendent will be held on Thursday, June 5, with the second round of interviews to be held on Monday, June 9.The board is scheduled to make their recommended appointment and begin contract negotiations on Tuesday, June 10.As part of the superintendent search, at the last Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, April 22, the board voted to form a superintendent search subcommittee.The subcommittee is made up of Hoffnagle, Christine Royer and Richard Dutton.However, board member Raymond Rabago said he wants to serve on the subcommittee.In an email to board members and the media sent on Thursday, April 24, Rabago said he is angry that he has been left out.“I said I wanted to be on that committee and you refused instantly and appointed someone [Royer] who was absent from the meeting,” Rabago said in his email. “Certain members tried to show as if they were concerned about political parties dividing the candidates. Yet rejecting a member who offered [to serve on the committee] right away and appoint someone who wasn’t there shows that is not true.”Rabago went on to object that there is not a Republican on the committee.“It’s obvious that this political concern was only to make sure it was in their favor,” Rabago said. “This shows you want control over the interview committee for the superintendent. Your reasoning being that you wanted experienced people who have been part of the interview process before. This reasoning has proven to fail. The superintendent your team has picked did nothing but get lower overall grades, have dozens of complaints and end up leaving shortly after the federal government contacted him about doing a federal investigation.”In a later email and in an interview with The Winsted Journal, Rabago said he would file a complaint with the state for political-party discrimination.Hoffnagle said a parent of a special education student made a complaint against the district to both the state and at the federal level.As for the search, Hoffnagle said she is hopeful the district will find a superintendent.“I know about how there are articles in newspapers that talk about how Winsted isn’t the most appealing place to work,” she said. “I do think there are people up for a challenge.”