FeedsTop superintendent choice is named
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Plymouth-Canton school board members have named Craig Feigel as their top choice to be the next superintendent of the school district. Several board members and administrative staff will travel to Chicago within the next two weeks to negotiate a contractCraig Fiegel, the 52-year old superintendent of the Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124 in Chicago is one step closer to becoming the new chief of the Plymouth-Canton Community School District.
By a 6-1 vote, school board members selected Fiegel over Paul Kadri, the superintendent of the Neshaminy School District in Langhorne, PA. More than 20 applications from throughout the country applied for the position.
Several school board members said they were impressed with Feigel’s experience as an educator as well as his experience as the superintendent of budget for a school district in Kansas. A strong knowledge of curriculum and budget are skills needed in the next superintendent of the Plymouth-Canton district, said School Board President Judy Mardigian
“Both the personal qualities and the solid track record he has in curriculum development, diversity involvement and budget is what we are looking for,” she said.
While the vote was overwhelmingly for Fiegel, several board members expressed some reservations before they made their decision.
“Am I picking the best candidate we have or the best candidate for the district,” said board member John Jackson while discussing the selection with board members. Jackson said he made his decision to support Fiegel 10 minutes before the start of the meeting.
Board member Steve Sneideman said Fiegel was the candidate best equipped for dealing with the particular dealings of the district.
“(Kadri) is someone who could help more of a struggling district,” said Sneideman, who said Kadri’s skill set would better serve a district that has issues with administrative accountability and test scores.
“He’s more of a turnaround specialist….not the right fit”
Trustee Dianne Gonzales, the lone dissenting vote, said she was not comfortable with either candidate. Gonzales said she has concerns over Fiegel coming to a district of 19,000 students from an elementary-only district of 2,500 students.
“I’m not ready to commit to him as the one.” Gonzales said.
The action taken by board members on Tuesday was not a final vote, but a procedure to move onto the next step in the search process said Roger H. Garvelink, a senior consultant with Hazard, Young Attea and Associates, the search firm in charge of finding superintendent candidates.
In addition to performing more background checks, Garvelink said board members and school administrators would travel to Chicago to observe Fiegel in his environment and talk to Evergreen Park school personnel and community members.
The board will also begin the process of contract negotiations with Fiegel. Retiring Plymouth-Canton Superintendent Jim Ryan earns a little more than $160,000 a year.
Fiegel could possibly demand more than $180,000 to come to western Wayne County. After coming to an agreement on salary and any other issues, the board will have to officially vote to hire Fiegel.
Garvelink said his “heavy-lifting” in the superintendent search is done and more responsibility will fall into the hands of the school board members. He will continue to advise the board as needed.
Garvelink added that the Plymouth-Canton school trustees are among the “most professional” he has encountered in his career.
“They have done a marvelous job with this search,” Garvelink said.
