Danbury eyes new schools leader
Pascarella said he has waited for a position in a school district like Danbury with both diversity and academic rigor.
"I like what they are doing, and I like what they are about," Pascarella said. "I like . . . how they hold kids to high expectations. I think that I could bring some added value to the work there."
Pascarella has served the Old Saybrook district of 1,600 students for 13 years. He previously was assistant superintendent of curriculum and principal of
The district received about 15 applications for the post Davis vacates June 30 after three years.
The 11-member school board interviewed four finalists in its search for a superintendent to lead the city's 17 schools and 10,000 students before narrowing the field last week.
School board chairwoman
"There was no vote taken, but the consensus is that he is the choice of the board," Hodge said. "It is important now for the board to unite behind the chosen candidate."
Still, she said, the board has work to do before an appointment is made, including background checks and site visits.
Hodge said a delegation will visit Old Saybrook on Friday, and Pascarella will visit Danbury next week.
Hodge said the board met twice with Pascarella.
Davis was paid $162,240 for this school year and the school board used a figure of $175,000 for the line item of the school budget for 2006-07, but no salary has been confirmed yet.
Pascarella, who has two grown children, lives with his wife in Westport.
He leads a school district with an elementary, middle and high school and 1,600 students.
In the 2002-03 school year, the district had a minority population of 163 students, including 75 Asian, 35 black and 50 Hispanic students.
The district has 131 teachers, 11 administrators and 59 non-certified instructional staff, according to strategic school profile.
That's in comparison to Danbury's 17 schools with 10,000 students, 40 percent of whom are students of color.
Pascarella is leading his district's renovation projects at the middle and high schools. Danbury will have renovations under way at one of its middle schools and will begin construction of a new elementary school to replace Roberts Avenue School .
Under his leadership at Old Saybrook this year, Pascarella's district received the National Civic Star Award for Connecticut in recognition of excellence in establishing school and community partnerships that encourage student achievement and academics.
Under his tenure, the Old Saybrook school district was recognized for having an award-winning National Blue Ribbon School .
During his tenure in Illinois, he helped institute the World of Difference Program, a curriculum to reduce prejudice through exploration of strategies that enhance students' ability to appreciate diversity.
Pascarella is an adjunct professor in the educational leadership department at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield.
He is scheduled to be a speaker at the 65th annual national Superintendent's Work Conference sponsored by Columbia University 's Teachers College this summer.
Pascarella began his career as a middle school teacher and instruction team leader in Long Grove, Ill., and also served as principal of Jack Benny Middle School in Waukegan, Ill.
He received a bachelor of arts degree from Lea College and his master's and doctorate of education degrees from Loyola University in Chicago. He's participated in post-doctoral studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the University of Oxford in England.
Until the Danbury school board appoints a new superintendent, associate superintendent William Glass will serve in that capacity on an interim basis starting July 1. Glass held the post for almost a year before Davis was hired.
Contact Eileen FitzGerald
at eileenf@newstimes.com
or (203) 731-3333.
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