By Mary Carey
AMHERST - West Hartford Superintendent David Sklarz has led school districts in Charleston, S.C., and Santa Cruz, Calif., places he discovered were "3,000 miles apart in geography and 10,000 miles apart in philosophy."
He would like to conclude his long and varied career in Amherst, he told parents and teachers at a community breakfast at the middle school Thursday. "Amherst is where I belong; I just have to convince you of that."
Sklarz is the second of three superintendent finalists to visit the district. Northampton Superintendent Isabelina Rodriguez met with parents, teachers, students and administrators earlier this week. Alberto Rodriguez, a Florida principal, is scheduled to visit the district later this month.
A new superintendent in Amherst will enter the system at a time when budgets will have to be slashed.
"The challenge is to say, what's important?" said Sklarz. "The only way you can find out is you ask people, #If we have to give something up, what do we keep, what do you stop? What do you want to change?'"
He said he is aware of a proposal to eliminate the elementary instrumental music program, and said he sees the arts as one of four pillars of a sound education, along with academics, athletics and social and civic responsibility. "Eroding one of the legs weakens the system."
Still, Sklarz said educators must "ask the tough questions."
"In an economic crisis like this, nothing can be sacred. Everything has to be held to the same litmus test. ... That's the hill I'm willing to die on," Sklarz said. "In the next couple of years, you're going to define the new Amherst for the decade. I think that's exciting."
Sklarz has been an elementary and high school teacher in his native Ipswich; middle school director in Ridgefield, Conn.; middle school principal in Marblehead; a principal in Concord, N.H.; and a superintendent in West Hartford for 14 years. He gave notice that he was retiring from that post 18 months ago and a successor has been named.
"I think seven to 10 years is when a superintendent is at his peak," he said. "After seven to 10 years, you start to get possessive about it, and you lose objectivity."
The average tenure of a superintendent in Massachusetts is under four years.
Sklarz said he would describe closing the achievement gap between black and Hispanic and white students as a passion.
When he accepted the position of deputy superintendent in Charleston, the district was under a court-ordered desegregation plan. Now the high school in the area ranks among the top in the country, he said.
Then he went to Santa Cruz as superintendent. He noted the contrast, saying that the joke out there was that people moved to Santa Cruz when Haight Ashbury became too conservative.
Asked by a science teacher to talk about his middle school vision, Sklarz said middle school teachers should want to work at middle schools rather than at a high or elementary school. Most educational programs don't teach people how to work with this age of student, he said.
In answer to a question about how schools can reach out to families who do not feel connected to the system, Sklarz said the West Hartford system rented a vacant Section 8 apartment and staffed it with teachers and guidance counselors with the idea of turning it into a kind of community and learning center. Only one family came at the beginning of the first year, by the end of the second year, it was usually filled to capacity until closing time.
Parents said they were impressed by Sklarz's breadth of experience and communication skills.
"He seems like a straight shooter," parent Laura Quinn said.
Amy Rose said she appreciated his "can-do attitude."
Michael Jacques said, "I feel like he can maximize the full potential of the Amherst educational system."
