Wanted: A Few Good Schools Officials

It's July 3 and the Montclair Public School system is without a permanent superintendent, a principal at Mount Hebron Middle School and—as of September 1, 2012—a business administrator.

In February, he would be stepping down as superintendent of the Montclair district after nine years on the job. Only a few years ago, the Montclair Board of Education revealed that it had approved a new five-year contract for Alvarez that extended from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2014. That contract called for Alvarez to remain at a salary of $216,083 for two years.

Then, in March, Alvarez told school board members that he had been hired to replace long-time district superintendent Edward Shine in the Rye City School District.

Clarence Hoover took over as interim superintendent on July 1 as school officials continue their push to hire a permanent superintendent by September.

Two months after Alvarez' announcement, in May, school officials announced that Mount Hebron Middle School Principal Guy Whitlock was being transferred to the school district's Central Office.

Whitlock, who taught Social Studies and Language Arts at Mount Hebron during the 1990s before serving as the assistant to Superintendent Alvarez, took over as principal in July 2010.

This week, Hoover released a statement saying that the search continues for someone to replace Whitlock as principal.

"We're not absolutely satisfied with the candidates we've had so far," Alvarez said a few weeks ago. "We'll be going out again for that search."

Finally, in June, Dana Sullivan, who has been Montclair's business administrator for 15 years, announced she was leaving to take the position of business administrator for the Westfield school district.

When asked for an update on all the personnel changes, School Board Member Robin Kulwin noted Monday that the board would be holding two executive sessions focused on the superintendent search the week of July 9.

She added that Sullivan's resignation is effective September 1 and that she believes an interim business administrator will be hired while a search is conducted.

She said it is also her understanding that Montclair "is a very desirable district ... we will attract quality candidates for both the interim and ultimately the permanent [business administrator] position. This scenario will give the new superintendent the opportunity to participate in the hiring of a key member of his/her senior staff." 

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