Paterson – Governor Jon S. Corzine today announced the formation of an 18-member search committee for Superintendent of Paterson Schools and named Dr. Dennis Clancy as interim replacement for outgoing Superintendent Michael Glascoe.

“There is no doubt that Paterson is a great, historic city with hard-working residents and children who show so much potential,” said Governor Corzine. “The superintendent search committee introduced today is a critical step in helping to fulfill that promise.

“We have assembled a group of stakeholders representing all aspects of the City of Paterson, its children, and its schools and I am confident this search committee will deliberate very carefully to make a wise and informed choice. We must choose a strong leader to strengthen and sustain Paterson’s schools far into the future because the children of Paterson deserve no less.”

The search committee will be chaired by Dr. Leslie Agard-Jones, a former Dean of the College of Education at William Paterson and consultant for the Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation. In addition to Agard-Jones, the search committee is comprised of:

• Willa Spicer, Deputy Commissioner, New Jersey Department  of Education

• Herman Badillo, former Congressmen and former New York City Deputy Mayor  (mayoral appointee)

• Ken Morris, Paterson Council President

• Dr. Jonathan Hodges, President, Paterson Board of Education

• Errol Kerr, Vice President, Paterson Board of Education

• Willa Mae Taylor, Member, Paterson Board of Education

• Wendy Guzman Member, Paterson Board of Education

• Linda Crescione, Principal, Charles J. Riley School #9

• Rev. James Kuykendall, President, Paterson Pastor’s Workshop

• Rev. Jose Luis Castro, Pastor, Central Baptist Church

• Evangeline Gomez, Immediate Past Board Chair, Paterson Education Fund

• Linda Smith President, NAACP- Paterson Chapter

• Robert Guarasci, President, NJ Community Development Corporation

• Zynide Banks, Nurse, PANTHER Academy (Paterson Education Association representative)

• Norberto Curitomai, President, Express Service Bus Shuttle Company

• Maritza Davila, Assistant Director of Admissions, Passaic County Community College (parent representative)

• Nina Odatalla, Teacher and Acting Administrator, International High School

 Dr. Dennis Clancy previously served as Interim Superintendent of the Paterson schools prior to the Glascoe appointment.  Dr. Clancy has 35 years of public school experience, which includes 29 years in New Jersey as an elementary school principal, as a director of secondary education, as an assistant superintendent for curriculum and as a superintendent.  In recent years, he has also served for various districts in an interim capacity 

Paterson is the third largest city in New Jersey.  It enrolls approximately 25,000 students who speak more than 25 different languages and employs 6,000 people.  Students attend 34 different elementary schools that encompass pre-K to grade 8 in various grade configurations. In addition, there are five high schools in the Paterson District and one adult high school  

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