But it's going live. You're live. Get it to not be looking at me. This This is where Maris breaks the camera on live YouTube. All right. How do you get it to move?
It doesn't really drop upside down. Good. You're on. All right. Let me share about the process we went through to get to this point. So, we started in April of last year, interviewed the companies to help the search. We chose the New Jersey
School Boards Association. They helped us write the advertisement, posted the positions, collected the applications from all the candidates, and facilitated the interview process. After the posting closed, the non-conlicted members reviewed those applications in detail. This included resumes, cover letters,
and answers to open-ended questions. We then narrowed down those 29 applicants to the ones we wanted to invite to the first round of interviews. Next, we had to decide on interview questions. Our rep sent us a bank of questions to choose from. They were very generic,
traditional interview questions, and we didn't think that they would really help us to get to know the candidate. So we asked for a new batch. She sent us new questions which were much more in-depth and often scenario based. We worked together to select the questions that were best suited for mula. The 12
questions we chose included topics of curriculum, student achievement, discipline, bullying, finance and budget, administrative management skills, personnel and staff relations, board and superintendent relations, and school and community relationships and communication.
We then held the first round of interviews over two nights so we could give each candidate 45 minutes. We then narrowed our candidate pool again and had to come up with another round of questions for the second round of interviews. We felt that all the candidates we invited to the second round could make a good superintendent.
But what we really needed to figure out was who would be the best fit for Mullica. So we ultimately decided to write most of our own questions. We used the data school boards collected in the fall to guide our question writing. We crafted three questions based solely
from the student responses to those surveys. We also created other questions based on parent and staff responses. We again had a broad range of questions covering the topics of parent and community involvement, student concerns, technology, discipline, finance, and
leadership. We wanted to make sure that the person we chose would be able to meet our needs and support our successes. We then held a second round of interviews over two nights so we could spend an hour with each candidate and ask follow-up questions if needed. Dr. Paul stood out throughout the interview
process, but especially in the second round. Her answers to the questions were thoughtful and detailed and exactly what we were looking for. And so we selected her to be our next superintendent. That's how we got to this point. Now, um after we vote, I'll tell you a little bit more about Dr.
calls herself. But if there's no other discussion from the board and then uh can I get a roll call? Mr. Curts, yes. Yes.
Mr. Warner. Yes. I have to abstain. Miss Wild, yes. Mhm. Yes. Motion passes. Um, at this time I'm going to call Dr. Paul's up and introduce her, tell you a
little bit about her. You can come right up here. I'll join you so you're not standing alone. So at this time, it's my pleasure and honor to introduce everyone to Dr. Paul's. So Dr. Paul comes to us with 24 years of experience in education
primarily in Atlantic County. So she knows our area. Not only does she know our area, but she also has family in Malikica, so she actually knows our town. Her experience has both depth and breadth. She has been a special education teacher, a vice principal, a principal, a director of curriculum, a
director of student services for special education. These experiences range from prek to high school. So she understands the needs of our students at various ages. As a parent, she volunteered in her community with the local youth sports organization and the PTA. So, she knows
the importance of those organizations as well and will be ready to work with them and support them to the benefit of our students. In addition to doing an excellent job answering all of our interview questions, Dr. Paul also had excellent references. Each of her references spoke about her in detail. In
addition to their thoughts about Dr. Paul's, they also shared examples of her accomplishments and interactions with them. their information supported what we learned about her in the interview process. And I just want to take a minute to probably embarrass you um by highlighting some of the things that
were said from her references. And many of the references repeated these same things. She is approachable, supportive, and passionate, focused on making school a great place for staff and students. A long-term thinker, calm under pressure.
The one who said that described a lockdown situation that involved police and just how excellently she handled that and made everyone feel calm and safe. Uh knowledgeable, she has vision, a good communicator, dedicated, good-hearted, amazing leader, excellent
mentor, and much more. When they were specifically asked about the superintendent position, they said, "She's ready for this." One said, "I'm surprised she isn't already a superintendent. an excellent choice for Mullica and this is her calling. So now I would like you to
officially welcome Dr. Paul's to Mullica Township School District on behalf of the school board many long nights. You're welcome. Sure. I just want to thank the board uh for
the opportunity. Um one of the things that stood out to me here in Malikica and it was great to hear the process were the questions and I think when my colleagues had said to me what were the questions that were being asked uh as you heard those positions that
I've held over the years obviously I've been uh on the other side of answering questions. I've also interviewed thousands of applicants at this point over my 20 years as an administrator uh here in Mullica. The questions that were
asked were thoughtful, indepth, really gave me a sense of the community and the board themselves sold this community to me in terms of who I want to work with, who I want to spend late nights with, um who I want to think about your children with. Uh this is a committed board and
that's what stood out to me. Um, yes. Uh, you know, 20 years of being an administrator, people might say, "Why aren't you a superintendent yet?" Because it hasn't been the right position. Uh, I wish tonight my son was with me. Um, he's actually playing baseball right now. He's a catcher. When
is he not playing baseball? Um, but he is going to college in the fall. So, as I said in the interview process, for me personally, this is the perfect opportunity to become a superintendent of the children that I got to start to meet tonight. Um, my son is uh leaving
the nest and so I can now spend the time with everybody else's children, committing the same amount of time that I have throughout my career and also to my son uh with all of your children. Um, one thing I will say is, um, I have
known probably and and my parents are sitting here tonight and my closest friends, um, they will all tell you I have wanted to be an educator since I was in second grade. Um, so yes, this is something that I've been built for. I've been practicing to do this since I was
eight years old. Um, I was that little girl in in my room. Um but I will tell you um I do understand the importance of what it is that I am going to be doing. Uh not only for the teachers that are in the room and the administrators that are in the room, but for all of the parents.
You are trusting um me with your most precious um people uh the little people of our our community and I do not take that lightly. Um your children are extremely important to me. Uh they will become who I am passionate about. I want
to see them succeed. I want to see the district succeed. And that's what I commit to you moving forward is that um just absolute passion of being the best that we can possibly be and doing it in in ways that are meaningful and
thoughtful. Um over my career, I've led large organizations. Um, it is a breath of fresh air to come and see the impact what I believe of my work will be in children that I will know their names, know their families, know their who
they're related to and how they fit into the community and and that's what I'm excited to do here in Mulla. So, um, it'll be great to meet all of you tonight. Please uh allow me a little bit of grace uh in in terms of me knowing your names and things like that. But I I
do intend to do that and we can get to know you really well. Um I would be remiss if the final thing that I didn't say was a thank you to my family that's here tonight. Um they're a small portion of a much bigger family. Um I come from a big Italian um you know family and um
many of them uh would love to be here tonight and it just wasn't a great night for them. that my mom and dad are here um they've been supporting me for my entire life. Um uh in many many ways uh just through encouragement and also um
you think about it being a mom and being an administrator. My mom's been a huge support uh for me in making that all happen. So thank you. Um Christine and Laura here they represent my friends. um they are people
that I've taught with um people who are educators, fellow fellow educators. I certainly could not have done and be here without their support. Um just that continuous encouragement of uh you can do this and and we're here behind you and we believe in you. And that
friendship was rooted out of working together um as educators. Um and that was over 18 years ago that we became in each other's lives um to work together as uh teachers, administrators, um
school and then they became school counselors and administrators uh with me and um I'm so blessed to be able to call them my friends. So um I just want to thank them all for coming tonight. Um I also have children of people who um I
worked with for a long time. our members here in Mullica and to see them come out and support me um is just such a blessing. And so, thank you all for the opportunity. I'm not going to bore you too much longer. Um but I do just want you to know that I am thrilled to be
here and thrilled to commit this next chapter of my career with all of you. So, thank you. Before I let you sit down, um, I want to introduce you to the PTA president and vice president, Rebecca and Rachel. And they have something for you.
Okay. Thank you, sir. So, we officially have to do our last round of public comment and then close the meeting and then we can have some cake. So, at this time, I'm going to open the meeting to public comments on any items.
Do we have anyone who would like to make a comment? [Music] All right. Then at this time, can I get a motion and a second to adjourn the meeting? Motion. Second. All in favor? Any opposed? Any
stain? Motion carries. Then we have cookies and cake. And I think I'm gonna make Dr. Paul's cut the first slice. And then we can just start chatting. So yes, we can be done videoing. Thank you. Thank you very
much. I appreciate you being live. And yes. Yes, I meant it. advising.