By Larissa Lytwyn

The school board’s recently released evaluation of Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff reflects his dedication to “working hard,” said school board Chairman Elaine McClure.

The superintendent was evaluated in 53 areas in the broad categories of relationships with the board, community relations, staff and personnel, business and support services, educational services, comprehensive planning and general management, and professional and personal qualities. His performance was judged on a scale ranging from five (outstanding) to one (unsatisfactory). The ratings by each school board member were averaged in a process that began in September and took roughly two months. Dr Pitkoff’’s average score overall was four (above average).

Dr Pitkoff, who began working for the district in July 2002, said the board’s numbers generally reflected his own self-evaluation, which is a component of the process.

“The evaluation is a good working tool for both Dr Pitkoff and the board,” said Ms McClure.

The evaluation was divided into seven sections: relationships with school board, community relations, staff and personnel, business and support services, comprehensive planning and general management, educational services, and professional and personal qualities.

While Dr Pitkoff scored a perfect mark for maintaining “high standards of ethics, honesty, and integrity in all personal and professional matters,” his lowest score, a 2.6, reflected his difficulty in managing “a safe, reliable, and efficient pupil transportation system.”

“I think the fact that we moved from a four- to three-tier system caused some issues in themselves,” said Dr Pitkoff. Next year, he said, his plans included more efficiently designed routes and driving tests involving simulated drop-offs and pickups.

Board member Earl Gordon said that it was impossible to compare former Superintendent of Schools John Reed, who served Newtown for 20 years, to newcomer Dr Pitkoff.

Despite Dr Pitkoff’s experience as a superintendent in urban areas including New Britain and New York City, Mr Gordon said, each community is unique.

There were definitely some “extenuating circumstances” involved in Dr Pitkoff’s low transportation system score, said Mr. Gordon.

Dr Pitkoff admitted that it had been a “challenging” year.

“There were a lot of new things going on,” he said, including the new Reed Intermediate School, a recently established Board of Finance, a new busing contract with MLM Transportation, the four- to three-tier bus system shift and the tight education budget.

Ms McClure said that as Dr Pitkoff becomes increasingly familiar with the Newtown school system, he would begin to speak more frequently, and authoritatively, during board meetings and hearings.

Dr Pitkoff received a score of 2.75 in providing “effective support to the board through knowledgeable and responsive comments at board meetings and hearings” and providing “written information as appropriate.”

Last spring, Dr Pitkoff said, he posted some of the district’s recent achievements on board-managed Channel 17. Ms McClure also said that Dr Pitkoff attended “just about every one” of last year’s holiday concerts and plans to do so again this year.

Since presiding over Newtown public schools a year and a half ago, he has also attended several Rotary Club and Lions Club functions.

“I thought it was a fair and helpful evaluation,” said Dr Pitkoff. “I look forward to continuing to improve my performance.”

The superintendent’s evaluation is available to the public. For more information, contact the superintendent’s office at 426-7021.