Red Clay district wants to hear from you - As Red Clay schools select a new leader, the district wants to hear from you

Meetings are scheduled as follows:

• Monday, Oct. 1 at 4:30 p.m., Stanton Middle School, 1800 Limestone Rd.
• Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m., Cab Calloway School of the Arts, 100 N. DuPont Rd.  
• Thursday, Oct. 4 at 3 p.m., Distance Learning labs at McKean, A.I. and Conrad high schools
• Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m., John Dickinson High School, 1801 Milltown Rd. 
• Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m., Warner Elementary School, 801 W. 18th St. 

As Red Clay schools select a new leader, the district wants to hear from you

Red Clay Board of EducationSept. 28, 2018 |

This was piece was submitted on behalf of the Red Clay Board of Education.

The Red Clay Board of Education has embarked on the search for a new superintendent, and as part of the search process is looking to host a broad and meaningful Community Conservation about the current and future direction of the district.

The catalyst for the discussion is the departure of Superintendent Merv Daugherty, who leaves the district November 1 for another opportunity.  

Without question, our educational system is one of the backbones of our community.  A strong educational system impacts not only the students we educate and serve, but is also a critical component of the strength and vitality of our local economy — from retaining and recruiting businesses that bring jobs to the community to maintaining strong property values and a high standard of living for all residents.  

Red Clay school district names interim superintendent, launches search for a new leader

The Red Clay Board of Education’s intent is that the conversations on the search for the next district leader extend to many throughout our community — from teachers to parents and guardians of current and future students, to members of the business community, mentors and nonprofit partners, as well as government officials, civic associations and community groups.    

If you cannot attend a meeting, you can still join the conversation. Please take a few minutes to take our online survey or join the discussion on our new Facebook Page, RedClaySuperSearch. 

Red Clay has a strong history of engaging the community in district planning. For its work in College and Career readiness, Red Clay was the recipient of the National Grand Prize Magna award from the National School Boards Association.   

Red Clay leads the state in many academic markers like the SAT and the ACT, and enjoys a reputation of being an excellent public school system. Red Clay has also been recognized as a national leader for our efforts in inclusive practices and offering diverse program offerings, including magnet schools, for students across the district.  

While there are many reasons we can highlight the accomplishments of the district, the Board also recognizes how critical it is at a time of leadership transition to keep the momentum going and continue to thrive and grow through collaboration with the entire community.  

Beyond asking its community what qualifications are desired in the district’s next superintendent, Red Clay has scheduled five town hall meetings (see below) where attendees will be asked to name the district’s greatest strengths, its biggest challenges, and in what direction the system should move in the future.  

These are big questions and they require a big conversation, with as many people involved as possible to make the exercise meaningful.  Board members stand ready and willing to listen, and learn from the exercise.

Information gleaned from these town hall meetings will be captured and analyzed by the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration and will be treated as a valuable commodity that can inform future decisions. 

To all members of our community, we ask you to please consider attending one of the meetings and to take a brief survey.  Board members can also be reached through email, with addresses available on www.redclayschools.com. Those interested can also follow the district’s new Facebook Page, RedClaySuperSearch. 

Red Clay has long enjoyed a supportive, involved community.  It is vital that it continue.

Thank you.

Meetings are scheduled as follows:

• Monday, Oct. 1 at 4:30 p.m., Stanton Middle School, 1800 Limestone Rd.
• Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m., Cab Calloway School of the Arts, 100 N. DuPont Rd.  
• Thursday, Oct. 4 at 3 p.m., Distance Learning labs at McKean, A.I. and Conrad high schools
• Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m., John Dickinson High School, 1801 Milltown Rd. 
• Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m., Warner Elementary School, 801 W. 18th St.