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Please see the following message from the Scranton School Board:

"As our vision states, we must strive to educate all students to their full potential and prepare them to be successful in all aspects of their lives. It’s what they deserve and what we owe them. That is what all of us believe here in Scranton. 

Regardless of background or life experience, every student must be provided a safe place to learn. An environment that celebrates diversity is one that inspires rigorous thought, imagination, and a love of learning. An environment that strives to eliminate gaps in achievement, opportunity and equity, and that builds the confidence for everyone to follow their dreams and goals.

Achieving this requires constant effort from everyone involved, working collaboratively not for ourselves, but for the students.  It means trusting each other, working as partners, embracing the challenges of an evolving educational landscape. What this means is we need to understand that our students will leave us to live and work in a rapidly changing world and striving to give them the skills they will need to pursue their goals.  

This is hard work. It demands a radical commitment to a new level of performance, discourse, conduct, teamwork, and engagement from every staff member, administrator, parent, and concerned citizen involved in the life of this district.

But it starts with the Board. We must hold ourselves and one another to the highest standards of excellence, to set the tone for a culture that prioritizes students."

Please see the following letter and message from the Scranton School Board regarding the search for a new Superintendent:

"Since August 2023 the Scranton School District Board of Education has been conducting a comprehensive search for our next Superintendent, using the services of an independent consultant. Choosing a Superintendent is the most consequential responsibility of any school board, and to date Directors have already devoted over 60 hours to meetings, interviews and executive sessions.

We would like to thank everyone for their effort and contribution to our search, particularly those stakeholders and community members who participated in the wide-ranging public consultation. The insights and hopes for the future of our district that were shared helped greatly to shape the guidelines for our discussions.

There were over 20 initial applicants. A first round of interviews was conducted with 11candidates, and in October a second round was conducted with 4 candidates. On Sunday November 19th, the final three candidates were invited to meet informally for a third time with the Board, including current and incoming Directors, and with members of our employee groups, including representatives of the SFT, 32BJs and Act 93 members.

We were fortunate to have a rich field of outstanding educators from whom to select. After weighing the candidates’ education, experience and knowledge of our District, the Board is able to recommend a candidate whom it believes would be an excellent leader for our District, with a clear understanding of our strengths and challenges, and a strong vision of a path to a strong future.

Our goal from the start has been to ensure that the best possible person is chosen to lead our students forward. Giving the necessary time and attention to the search has extended the process slightly beyond the initial proposed timeline. As the vote to appoint a Superintendent requires five days written notice to the Board of Education, the privilege of hiring the recommended candidate will thus fall to those Directors serving after the December 4th reorganization. Until a final decision is taken, our Interim Superintendent Pat Laffey will continue to capably lead our District."

We thank everyone for their patience and are confident that the choice to follow this independent and transparent process will end in the right result."

Please see the following message regarding the Superintendent Search:

"The Scranton Board of School Directors is continuing its search for the district's next superintendent. At this juncture, we have concluded the second round of interviews, and undertook an extensive discussion around a series of topics related to each candidate as we prepare for the next phase of the process. This includes a closer look at their backgrounds and assessing each candidate's interviews in more detail.

Furthermore, we are continuing to keep the focus group and survey results top of mind as we collaborate with key stakeholders in the district. In this next phase, we will also be reinforcing best practices in educational and organizational leadership.

Finally, we are providing candidates with an opportunity to engage with other district leaders as part of their due diligence to determine whether Scranton is the right district for them - just as the board is assessing each candidate's fitness for the office of superintendent as well.

We continue to appreciate everyone's dedication to the children and families of the district."

Good day, everyone! This update is the next status report on the search for our next superintendent. The board has completed the first round of interviews, and we have reviewed the results of those interviews and finalized preparations for the next round. 

This week, the board is taking a closer look at a reduced field of candidates, exploring topics like vision, staff relations, collaboration and inclusive leadership, readiness to innovate and explore methods to educate today’s students, educational leadership, transparent communication and engagement with staff and community, building constructive relations with the board of school directors, and understanding how to advance in the midst of significant financial constraints. 

The Board has continued to keep a close eye on the stakeholder comments from the focus groups as well as the survey results. Those opinions, along with other best practices in urban educational leadership, will be reviewed as we continue to move through this phase of the process. 

As a reminder, It is important to note that the stakeholder data will also be used for purposes well beyond the search process. We will be using this information to plan and prepare a bold vision for the future of the district, which will include a series of well-articulated goals and performance objectives. 

Our mission is to continue to be as thorough and efficient as possible in our approach to each step of the process. Thank you for your continued interest and commitment to the Scranton School District.