London City Schools Superintendent Steve Allen has narrowed the search for a new middle school principal from 79 applicants to five. Now, it’s the staff and community’s turn to join the decision process.
On July 9, parents, students and members of the school staff, administration and board will interview the final five candidates. They will divide into groups; the candidates will rotate from room to room for question-and-answer sessions.
Based on feedback from these interviews, Allen will select one or two of the candidates for an additional interview. The board has tentatively set a special meeting for 7:15 a.m. July 15 to hire the new principal.
Allen said the large number of applicants surprised him, as did the fact that half of the 79 had experience.
“My usual saying is ‘The pool is large but it’s pretty shallow.’ But this particular group had depth," he said.
Allen screened all of the resumés before choosing nine applicants for first inter-views. He then narrowed the field to the following five who will be interviewed this week:
• Jim Albanese, Jonathan Alder High School assistant principal;
• Jeff Beane, Miami View (K-8) principal for Southeastern Local Schools;
• Adelle Faulkner, London Elementary School assistant principal;
• Derren Fillman, Orange Middle School principal for Olentangy Schools;
• Cathi Scott, Indian Valley Middle School principal for Greenon Local Schools.
Allen updated the board on the principal search during a special meeting on June 27 at which the board also accepted the resignations of four staff members.
Brenda Freed, who is recovering from an illness, tendered her resignation for the purpose of retirement. Her last day was July 1. She was a reading specialist at London Elementary.
Others who resigned to accept employment elsewhere are: Kathryn Adorno, intervention specialist at the elementary; Elizabeth Gleim, eighth-grade intervention specialist; and Heather Byerly, seventh- and eighth-grade intervention specialist.
