• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Songy, Texas Principal Finalists for Ascension Schools Head

Posted on: Saturday, 25 March 2006, 18:00 CST

By STEVEN WARD

Songy, Texas principal finalists for Ascension schools head

Ascension Parish Assistant School Superintendent Donald Songy is one of two finalists the School Board will interview April 3 for the job of superintendent of schools, board President Ed Price said Friday.

The other applicant who made it to the final round of interviews is Michael W. Faulk, a high-school principal in Shepherd, Texas, who is a former superintendent of schools in Morehouse Parish.

The board narrowed its search down from five applicants to two Friday following a public interview session held Wednesday in Donaldsonville.

The School Board is searching for a successor to Superintendent Robert Clouatre, who will retire, effective July 1.

The public interviews of the five applicants were conducted by members of the Community Forum Focus Group, a citizens committee created by the School Board to get input from the public and to involve parish residents in the process to pick a new superintendent.

The six questions asked by members of the committee were drawn up basked on input and questions from the community. Following Wednesday's public interview session, the committee ranked the five applicants.

Price said the School Board decided to chose the top two applicants in the committee rankings and interview each of them for the top job.

Following interviews with Songy and Faulk on April 3, School Board members will vote on their final selection, then appoint the system's next superintendent during the board's April 4 meeting.

"The committee did an excellent job with the process and asked good and important questions," Price said.

Price said the School Board will concentrate on more specific questions on academics and the school system budget when it interviews the two finalists.

"We need to find a leader who can move us forward. We are a parish with growing pains and we need someone that can help us with those kind of issues," Price said.

Songy, an Ascension Parish native, has been the assistant superintendent of schools since 1999. Before that, Songy worked as director of personnel and administrative services in the school district. Before that, beginning in 1985, Songy was a principal at Dutchtown Elementary and Middle schools. Songy began teaching in Ascension Parish in 1972.

Faulk, an Abbeville native, served as superintendent of Morehouse Parish schools from 1989 to 2002. Before that, he worked as a teacher, principal and central office supervisor in Louisiana schools.

The base starting salary for the superintendent's job is $110,000 a year.

Source: Advocate; Baton Rouge, La.

More News in this Category