Superintendent of Schools
94 North Elm Street, Suite 201
Westfield, MA 01085
Telephone: (413) 572-6403
Fax (413) 572-6518
Mr. Stefan Czaporowski
Superintendent of Schools
To: Westfield School Committee Members
From: Stefan Czaporowski, Superintendent of Schools
Date: August 29, 2016
Re: Superintendent Entry Plan
Introduction
Transitions in leadership are significant moments in the history of organizations. These moments set the
stage for the direction an organization will take in the future, ownership and buy-in of members of the
organization to a new culture and possible shift in priorities and goals, opening discussion about
strengths and areas of growth, and evaluating existing practices and allowing for alternative approaches.
Creating a smooth transition in leadership requires a new leader to take the time to learn about the
organization from as many perspectives as possible. It is clear to me that I must gather information
through direct observation of all aspects of the organization. I plan to meet with all stakeholders to
inquire about their experiences and understanding of the organizational strengths and needs. I also plan
to review policies and procedures, analyze available data, and build relationships and understanding
through the on-going day to day work that informs the leader about how the organization functions.
Entry Plan
Beginning in late spring of 2016, I began the process of entry into the position of Superintendent of the
Westfield Public Schools. Following a superintendent who completed five-year tenure provides a strong
foundation to work from and also presents challenges in changing deeply rooted practices and beliefs.
As a member of the school community I already know that trust and transparency need to be restored.
The focus of my entry process is to develop stronger relationships with all members of the Westfield
Public School community and learning about the values and priorities of each constituent group. My
daily work, along with the formal process of my entry plan, will further inform my understanding of the
state of the district and provide me with the community context of how the schools fit into the overall
City of Westfield. I anticipate organizing both the data gathering process and the entry plan’s findings
into the following categories:
1.
2.
3.
4.
teaching and learning practices and outcomes
school and district culture and communication
technology audit and needs
district finances
5.
6.
governance, leadership, and administration
relationships between the schools, families, and city departments
Method
I have already met and will continue to meet with many stakeholders including; School Committee,
local elected officials, city department and community leaders, PTO and SEPAC members, faculty and
staff members, and students. Input from these groups will be synthesized into a narrative that provides
a descriptive representation of the state of our district. I will also collect and analyze written data from
many sources including; student testing data, student graduation, drop out, and retention data, labor
contracts, NEASC reports, budget documents, school climate surveys, DESE staffing data. The findings of
this work will be reported to the School Committee in January 2017. My hope is that this entry plan
report will help inform a near future district and city wide planning process.
Other Considerations
In addition to carrying out an entry plan process, the New Superintendent Induction Program (NSIP)
requires that new superintendents develop core values, vision, and a theory of action that will guide the
work of the district. While the arrival of a new superintendent is an ideal time for a district to engage in
the development of core values, an updated vision, and theory of action, I feel that until the required
data has been gathered, this work is better suited for the 2017-2018 school year. However, we are able
to work off of the previously established Strategy for Continuous Improvement. In my early meetings
with principals and central office staff, administrative team members have expressed a strong interest in
the temporary development of Strategies for Continuous Improvement in order to facilitate district,
school, staff, and district learning goal development for the 2016-2017 school year. Our vision under
these strategies has been that Westfield Public Schools will collaborate with families to provide a
rigorous 21st century program that promotes continuous academic, emotional, and social growth and
enables students to achieve personal success in order to become self-sufficient global citizens. Our
theory of action has been that if we design and implement a rigorous 21st century instructional program
aligned with staff development, then our students will achieve a high level of success as evidenced by
multiple measures. For this year, district and site strategic initiatives will align with our current district
vision and theory of action. The administrative team will begin identifying strategic objectives at our
retreat in August and expect to have a document for staff use by mid-September.