Dear Wallingford Swarthmore School Community,

We are writing to share with you significant plans for anticipated change in our school district’s leadership. After thoughtful discussion, the School Board and Superintendent, Dr. Wagner Marseille, have mutually agreed to pursue an amicable conclusion to Dr. Marseille’s service as District Superintendent, which will be fully conditioned upon the execution of a mutually agreed upon separation agreement by Dr. Marseille and the School Board. Dr. Marseille has dedicated a significant amount of time, energy, and expertise to our school district over the last three years. As a Board we value his passion and wish him all the best in his future work.

In anticipation of the need to fill the role of superintendent, and with a new school year about to begin, it will be important to quickly appoint an interim superintendent while the Board begins to discuss the process of searching for its next superintendent.

We are pleased to share that we anticipate appointing Dr. Jim Scanlon, an experienced and well regarded former superintendent, as interim superintendent. Dr. Scanlon brings 22 years’ experience as a superintendent to our district. He is known for being a collaborative and communicative leader, and we are very optimistic that he will provide steady leadership during this time of transition. Dr. Scanlon retired in 2021 after 12 years as superintendent in the West Chester Area School District. He most recently served as Interim Superintendent in the Central Bucks School District for several months this past spring. It is common for retired superintendents to provide interim leadership, for limited periods of time, for school districts during search processes and transitions.

At a special school board meeting next Thursday, August 22 at 7 p.m., we anticipate approving and fully executing a separation agreement for Dr. Marseille. Following approval of that agreement, we also anticipate appointing Dr. Scanlon to an interim term effective August 23, not to exceed one year, during our search process.

As a Board, we are fully committed to a search process that includes a significant amount of feedback and contribution from our staff, students, parents, and school community. We are looking forward to establishing new opportunities to strengthen communication and ensure we are working as collaboratively and responsively as possible on all of our district’s goals.

Any leadership change presents challenges and questions, and we appreciate your patience while we, too, work through these changes. We will do so as transparently and respectfully as possible, while also focusing on the energy and excitement of the new school year that is upon us.

You can expect to hear additional communication from the district as we move forward through this process. As always, thank you for your support of the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District.

Sincerely,
Kevin Henry, School Board President
Kelly Wachtman, School Board Vice President
On Behalf of the Wallingford-Swarthmore School Board

Monday, August 12, 2024

Dear Wallingford Swarthmore School Community,The start of the new school year is just two weeks away, and we hope you have been enjoying a restful and enjoyable summer. As School Board members, we felt it was important to communicate with you directly, after numerous concerns were voiced at our July 22 School Board meeting regarding the leadership direction of the district.

Above all, we are committed to continuing to listen and understand, and to directly addressing those concerns with a holistic plan focused on reconsidering and recalibrating the pace of change, and fostering a climate and culture that elevates staff, student, and parent voice. We are also committed to creating a plan that is responsive and reflective. Organizational change often includes some level of challenge, frustration, or resistance, but it is clear that our current path is not serving our school district well or creating the kind of fully supportive environment that we need to thrive. It is time to reset.

As residents elected to work collaboratively with our school district’s administration to lead and direct – rather than explicitly manage – we are cognizant of both our responsibilities and our role as a board. We have heard the call for change, recognize, and affirm it. We must also be diligent in ensuring we follow district processes and procedures and move forward in a timely but thoughtful manner. Otherwise, we run the risk of responding with the same kind of intense forward rush that has been counterproductive.
Over the last few years, many of the professional audits and assessments completed for the district by highly regarded national organizations demonstrated areas for growth, particularly in the ways in which we support the academic success of all students. This remains an important focus and priority. However, any plans for improvement – in any area - must be implemented in a manner that more fully involves our staff and reflects and respects their valuable perspectives. Continual improvement is a hallmark of any strong school system. It’s effective only when it is inclusive, collaborative, and supportive.

The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District is one of the highest-achieving school districts in the state, and we are fortunate to have an incredibly dedicated faculty and staff who care deeply for our students. As you likely know, we are negotiating a new contract with our teachers’ association and that issue has gathered some attention in the media. As a Board, we are committed to working collaboratively towards a contract settlement. The concerns about management and the aggressive pace of change have added a layer of complexity to those negotiations, but they have not deterred us from our goal of achieving a fair and supportive contract that continues to value our excellent teaching staff.

We are very sorry that our school community is experiencing turmoil and concern. We expect that media coverage over the next few weeks may add to a broader sense of frustration and confusion. As a Board, we want to be clear that we are committed to adjusting course. We will communicate directly again in the coming weeks with more specifics.

As we prepare to open a new school year, we know that no matter what, each of our faculty and staff will warmly and eagerly greet the students who enter their schools and classrooms in two weeks, determined as they always are to make the school year a phenomenal one. Thank you to each of them, and to you, for your commitment to our students, and for your grace and patience as we do our work as a Board in responding to what we have heard.

Sincerely,
Kevin Henry, School Board President
Kelly Wachtman, School Board Vice President
On behalf of the Wallingford-Swarthmore School Board