York Prep picks 3 finalists for director job

Three finalists hoping to be York Preparatory Academy’s managing director will visit the school soon to continue interviews with board members and administrators. Officials say parents also will have a chance to meet the finalists.

Over recent weeks, York Prep’s board members narrowed an applicant pool from around 30 to three.

On Tuesday night, board members briefly discussed the possibility of choosing two of the finalists for on-campus visits, eliminating one from the pool; but after a 30-minute closed-door session, board members emerged to vote unanimously to keep all three as candidates.

The finalists for the position are:

▪ Wade Glathar, director of Ascent Academies West Jordan, a charter school in Utah;

▪ Kevin McIntyre, assistant superintendent for Milford Public Schools in Massachusetts; and

▪ Charles Sachs, head of school at Chadwick International in South Korea.

Board Chairman Abram Cramer says York Prep officials spent time assessing the school’s needs last year before embarking on an international search for the right candidate.

York Prep serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

The school is looking for its fifth managing director since opening in 2010.

The position has been open since August, when York Prep’s most recent leader, Clay Eaton, resigned. Before that, four managing directors served one-year stints or less on the job.

After Eaton’s resignation last year, board members sent an email to York Prep parents announcing his departure and said the “revolving door” for school’s managing director needed to stop.

York Prep is a public charter school and receives state tax support.

Its board is organized under the South Carolina Public Charter School District Board, and the school operates separately from other public school districts in York County. Parents and school staff members elect York Prep board members.

Those board members said Tuesday that Glathar, McIntyre and Sachs bring distinct qualifications to the managing director job.

Glathar previously taught in Britain and has helped open three new schools. He has worked in both public and private schools as a teacher, and once worked at a university as an adjunct professor. Glathar holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Brigham Young University.

McIntyre previously worked for six years as a principal and two years as an associate principal at public schools in Massachusetts before being promoted to assistant superintendent. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany, a master’s degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Education and an Ed.D. from Northeastern University in Boston.

Sachs has held head of school or similar positions at schools in Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio and Utah. He’s also worked at schools in Connecticut, New Hampshire and California. Sachs holds a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University in New York and a master’s degree from Middlebury College in Vermont.

During a public portion of Tuesday’s meeting, the York Prep board discussed quantitative and qualitative input on the finalists, provided by school staff members who spoke with the candidates.

Board members have held video and phone interviews with Glathar, McIntyre and Sachs.

Each board member also ranked the three finalists. Board member Craig Craze initially suggested the board bring only Sachs and Glathar for in-person, full-day interviews because they were ranked highest by board members.

Board member Bill Hargrove then requested that the body move into a private meeting to discuss the finalists. After the executive session, Craze made a motion that all three finalists remain under consideration, be invited for interviews, and that reference checks begin on the candidates.

No specific timetable was given for visits or a final decision. “We’re going to move along as fast as we can,” Cramer said.

York Prep hired a private search firm to help recruit managing director applicants this year. Cramer said board members have prioritized finding a managing director with a strong academic background, who will offer stability and stay in the position long term.

This story was originally published April 14, 2015 at 10:59 PM with the headline "York Prep picks 3 finalists for director job."