York Prep board again interviewing managing director candidates

York Preparatory Academy is again interviewing candidates for a new managing director.

Craig Craze, chairman of the school’s board of directors, said Friday two candidates were interviewed this past week and a third is scheduled to be interviewed Monday.

Craze said the board is not releasing the names of the candidates and will meet Tuesday to decide where they are in the hiring process.

“We want to get the right person and keep the bar high,” Craze said.

York Preparatory Academy is looking for its fifth managing director since opening in 2010. The previous four managing directors each served for one year or less.

Given that history, Craze said, the current board is taking its time in the hiring process and has several options heading into the upcoming school year. Craze said the board expects its new managing director to serve at least three to five years.

If a new director can’t be found by the time school opens in August the board could extend the contract of Brian Carpenter, a national consultant on charter schools, who was hired to help York Prep prepare for the upcoming school year and to assist with the managing director’s search. Carpenter’s contract could be extended through September or possibly for a year, Craze said.

Craze said the latest round of candidates came from a list of 28 prospects.

Craze said the board is looking for someone with charter school experience.

“We want someone who understands that our charter is our contract with the state and we are obligated to make things happen,” Craze said.

Among the charter obligations are a commitment to project-based learning and character education.

Candidates initially considered to replace managing director Clay Eaton, who resigned last August, were Wade Glathar, principal of Ascent Academies of Utah; Charles Sachs, head of the Chadwick International School in Incheon, South Korea, and Kevin McIntyre, assistant superintendent for Milford Public Schools in Massachusetts. The board could not reach an agreement with any of the three candidates.

York Prep is a public charter school and receives state tax support. The school’s board is organized under the South Carolina Public Charter School District. York Prep operates separately from other public school districts in York County. Parents and school staff members elect York Prep board members.

This story was originally published July 10, 2015 at 5:08 PM with the headline "York Prep board again interviewing managing director candidates."