School Trustees Pick New Superintendent

The Scarsdale Board of Education announced last night the appointment of Dr. Thomas Hagerman as its new superintendent of schools effective July 1.
  
Dr. Hagerman is now the Superintendent of Winnetka School District 36  on Chicago’s north shore, a role he assumed in 2011.
 
"When the Board commenced its search, we were hopeful that we would find a new superintendent who would continue the legacies of a focus on critical and creative thinking, on collaborative work and on a global perspective for students. We strongly believe Dr. Hagerman will continue and enhance these legacies and foster Scarsdale's tradition of excellence," said Scarsdale Board of Education President Suzanne Seiden in a written statement. "We look forward to welcoming Dr. Hagerman to our spirited community and working together with him on these important goals."

Dr. Hagerman issued this statement: “I feel honored to be named Scarsdale 
Schools’ 10th Superintendent in 230 years. Scarsdale is an exemplary district that is truly committed to the success of every student, and I look forward to working alongside the entire Scarsdale community as we continue to honor past traditions while creating a future that inspires our students to even greater levels of success. I recognize that the first step in this process is to actively engage with and listen to students, teachers, parents, and the broader community, and I 
am fully committed to that work.”

Here's the rest of the district's press release, verbatim:

Dr. Hagerman’s Solid Background as an Educator and His Interests

Dr. Hagerman has a twenty-year background establishing him as an experienced educator with a vision of 21st century education. For the past 10 years, he has served as Superintendent in both K-8 and K-12 high-performing school districts in communities similar to Scarsdale, those with high expectations and exemplary achievement. More specifically, prior to his appointment as Superintendent of Winnetka District 36, he served as Superintendent of the Riverdale School 
District in Oregon and of the River Forest School District 90 in Illinois. During the 2011-2013 period, Dr. Hagerman received a number of awards from the Illinois chapter of the National School Public Relations Association, including awards relating to "distinguished service" and strategic planning. While serving as Winnetka School District 36  Superintendent, Dr. Hagerman:
 
(1) Planned, developed and implemented a community-wide 
strategic planning process that resulted in a comprehensive five 
year focused plan; 
(2) Initiated and implemented a one-to-one learning initiative as 
part of an ongoing commitment to 21st century learning standards;
(3) Developed and implemented an award-winning communication 
plan including all major constituencies; and
(4) Developed a financial philosophy and plan to include metrics, 
consistency and transparency in the budget process.
 
Prior to his work as a Superintendent, Dr. Hagerman served in Oregon as a principal, assistant principal and classroom teacher of English, Social Studies and Technology for 6th-12th graders.
 
Over the course of his career, Dr. Hagerman has demonstrated a genuine ability in building consensus, resolving financial conflicts, constructing and implementing strategic plans, establishing strong relationships with staff, parents, community members and students, hiring strong building and central office leaders, and successfully negotiating union contracts. He embraces a tradition of progressive education and forward-thinking 21st century education concepts. He obtained a Bachelor's degree in English (1992) and a Master’s degree in Education 
(1994) from Lewis and Clark College. He also earned a doctoral degree in Policy, Organization and Management from the University of Oregon in 2003.

As to his personal interests, Dr. Hagerman loves the cultural amenities New York has to offer, including good food, music, theater, art and architecture; he particularly loves mid-century art and design. He also loves the outdoors and looks forward to hiking, biking and running in the area. He also is an avid reader and loves to travel. 

The Transition Plan and Meeting Dr. Hagerman

In his application for the Superintendent position, Dr. Hagerman discussed the importance of having visionary and focused leadership skills "to be able to assess the needs of all constituent groups and bring these elements together in a common vision, purpose and direction." Board President Seiden notes that "Dr. Hagerman is coming to us with a history of success built upon listening and observing, and working with others to structure a shared vision." Towards that end, the Board and Dr. Hagerman are already working on a transition plan to engage all stakeholders in the process of identifying issues, goals and processes to move the District forward under Dr. Hagerman's leadership. 

The Board invites the entire community to attend the first of what will be a number of "meet and greets" with Dr. Hagerman -- Wednesday, March 26th at 7:30 P.M. in the Main (Brewster Road) Entrance Commons Area near the auditorium of the High School. There will be many further opportunities to meet Dr. Hagerman both before and after he assumes the Superintendent role on 
July 1st. Details of such opportunities will be announced at future Board of Education meetings and will be publicized through the Board of Education website and through other media. 

The Bond Between Scarsdale and Winnetka

The appointment of Dr. Hagerman re-kindles a long-ago established connection between Winnetka and Scarsdale. In the early 1900's, Scarsdale's national attention as a district engaged in "progressive" educational policy stemmed from a personal relationship between Elizabeth Caldwell Fountain (Scarsdale's first female School Board member and for whom the Middle School's Fountain House is named) and Mrs. James Porter of Winnetka and the New Trier School District. Ms. Fountain's support and implementation of innovative educational 
approaches in Scarsdale in the early 1900's tie directly to Scarsdale's Winnetka/New Trier connection. The Board looks forward to again benefiting from Winnetka's innovative and progressive educational approaches following the arrival of Dr. Hagerman.