BOE Considers Old Timer for Interim Superintendent Job

The Board of Education Personnel Committee met this evening (Thursday) to interview its second candidate for interim superintendent. The closed door session follows Tuesday's interview with Dr. William Papallo, who served as interim superintendent in 2000, prior to Sal Corda's appointment.

Although the BOE has not yet publicly announced how it is conducting its search for Corda's replacement, BOE Vice-Chair Jody Bishop-Pullan told me today that a statement will be released in the next day giving details.

Dr. Papallo is an experienced educator who has seemingly carved out a niche for himself as an interim superintendent for several school districts in Connecticut. While he has been "retired" he has served as interim superintendent in Wethersfield, Fairfield, Region 6 School District, and most recently Litchfield. According an article in the Southington Observer:

During his career, Papallo was a history, social studies and math teacher in Meriden; an assistant high school principal in Middletown and principal of Northwestern Regional High School in Winsted. He served a total of 19 years as a superintendent, in Meriden and Stamford. Papallo was also president of the Westchester Business Institute, chief of staff for Bridgeport’s public schools and an educational consultant in Bridgeport.

Dr. Papallo's prior term as Norwalk's interim school chief was not without controversy. He was criticized for not firing a Ponus Ridge middle school teacher who gave money to one of his students to buy marijuana in an attempt to entrap dealers. Dr. Papallo believed that a reprimand placed in the teacher's employment file was sufficient.