Welcome from Dr. James Conley, Assistant Superintendent

Dear Members of the WSSD community,

My name is Dr. James Conley, and I am honored to serve as the new Assistant Superintendent of the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District. While I have only been a member of the school district community for a short time, I have experienced such a warm and genuine welcome from staff, students, and community members.

In my new role at WSSD, and as an educator for over 25 years, I understand the sacred trust that has been placed before us as educators in working with the children of this community each day. As the educational philosopher John Dewey once said, “Education is not a preparation for life; rather education is life itself.” The success of our students, and their wellness in this pursuit, both in the classroom and outside the walls of our schools, is the essence of our vocation as educators. Our children’s education should be more than just learning to read with discernment, to write with passion, and to think with an open mind. Instead, our aims need to be educating the whole child, embracing the challenges that our children face each day, and providing them with the tools they will need to succeed in life.

Over the next nine months, we will be developing our WSSD Strategic Plan where we will engage all stakeholders in a discussion regarding the direction of our district. During the 2021-2022 school year, WSSD successfully completed audits of Communications, Curriculum, and Equity. The feedback that we have received from our community stakeholders through the audit processes will provide the essential  foundation and focus for our Strategic Plan. As we move into the next few months, our community will continue to play a fundamental role in the Strategic Planning process.  As we work to finalize the plan through the Spring of 2023, we strive for all community voices to be represented and heard. 

So, thank you to those individuals with whom I have already met, and I look forward to building positive relationships with all members of the WSSD community over the next few months.

I do hope that we will be able to connect with one another in the future.

Kind Regards,

Dr. James Conley