Superintendent Search

Community Communication

06//06/2025 Community Letter from President Smith

Dear Port Washington Community:

The Board of Education is pleased to announce that, following a diligent, thorough, and inclusive search process, we have selected Dr. Gaurav Passi to be appointed to serve as our next Superintendent of Schools, effective August 1, 2025. Dr. Passi currently serves as Superintendent of the Manhasset School District, a role he has held for the past four years. With over 20 years of experience in public education, Dr. Passi has served as an Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, a high school Principal, an Assistant Principal, and as a classroom teacher.

Dr. Passi brings a strong record of spearheading robust academic programming to meet the needs of all learners. He is respected for his desire and ability to build meaningful relationships with parents and community members and for fostering a collaborative and supportive environment for staff. We are excited to welcome Dr. Passi to our community and look forward to the work ahead in support of all our students.

The Board of Education will hold a special board meeting to officially appoint Dr. Passi and host a community meet and greet, more information to follow shortly. In order to facilitate a smooth transition, the Board will coordinate opportunities for Dr. Passi to visit our schools and connect with students, parents, faculty, staff, and administrators. Dr. Passi is eager to get to know our community and we encourage you to introduce yourselves when you see him in our buildings and community.

As we prepare to welcome new leadership, we want to take a moment to extend our deepest appreciation for Dr. Chris Shields who has served as our interim superintendent for the past seven months. Dr. Shields stepped into this role at a critical time and provided steady, thoughtful, and student-centered leadership that kept our district moving forward. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Shields has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our students, staff, and families. We are sincerely grateful for the dedication, professionalism, and care that he brought to this role. Although Dr. Shields will not be continuing with us as superintendent, he will remain a valued member of our leadership team as he returns to his position as Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Leadership Development. We are grateful to continue benefiting from Dr. Shield’s expertise and steadfast commitment to the Port Washington Union Free School District.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Passi and in extending our deepest appreciation to Dr. Shields for his exceptional contributions to our district.

Sincerely,

Adam Smith, President
On behalf of the Port Washington Board of Education

1/6/2025 Community Letter from President Smith

Dear Community Stakeholders,

The Port Washington Board of Education invites you to participate in one of the following important meetings regarding the selection of our new Superintendent of Schools:

• Wednesday, January 15, 2025: Schreiber High School Auditorium, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

• Thursday, January 16, 2025: Port Washington Public Library Lapham Room, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

• Thursday, January 16, 2025: Via Zoom, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM (link to be shared in a separate email)

Selecting a new Superintendent is the most significant responsibility a school board faces, and we value your input as part of this critical process.

The focus of these meetings is to identify the personal and professional qualities, as well as the experiences, that the Port Washington school community values in a Superintendent. During the meeting, you will also meet search consultants from School Leadership, LLC, who will explain the process and timeline for conducting the search.

The remainder of the session will be dedicated to discussing the following prompts:

From your perspective, what would attract a highly-qualified educator to seek the position of Superintendent in our school district?
What do you see as some of the major leadership challenges that the new Superintendent will face over the next three to five years?
What types of prior experiences and personal and professional qualities would you hope the new Superintendent will have?

Feedback from this and other community meetings will be synthesized into a set of search specifications, which the Board anticipates approving at its meeting on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. These specifications will guide the search process.

Please RSVP via the Google Form to confirm your attendance. Your insights are crucial to ensuring we identify the best possible leader for our schools.

Thank you for your time and commitment to the success of our district.

Sincerely,

Adam Smith
President
On behalf of the Board of Education

1/13/2025 Community Letter from President Smith

Dear Community Stakeholders,

We want to take this opportunity to remind you of the upcoming community stakeholder forums on:

Wednesday, January 15th from 7:00-8:30PM at Schreiber High School Auditorium;
Thursday, January 16th from 12:00-1:30PM at the Port Washington Public Library Lapham Room
Thursday, January 16th from 7:00-8:30PM via Zoom (see below for link)

In addition to the in-person forums, School Leadership LLC, in consultation with the Board of Education, has created an online survey that we encourage you to complete. The survey will be accessible from January 13th – January 20th. To access the survey click HERE.

Lastly, the Board of Education will use this information to help shape the qualifications for the next superintendent. These will be presented via resolution at the January 28th Board of Education meeting.

The Board of Education appreciates the community’s involvement in this process and will continue to keep you updated throughout the process.

Sincerely,

Adam Smith
President
On behalf of the Board of Education

ZOOM INFORMATION- Please check your email

Potential Candidates

On January 28, 2025, the Board approved a resolution, as part of the Consent Agenda, outlining the qualifications and expectations for superintendent candidates.  President Smith read the specifications aloud and expressed appreciation for the input received from stakeholders through forums, emails, and the online survey.  The Board unanimously approved the following specifications:

1.  An instructional leader at the central office level, experienced teacher, and building administrator, with a proven record as a visionary who is able to move a successful district to even higher levels of achievement.

2.  A leader with success in working with a diverse and growing student population, who will ensure that all students are provided with an appropriately challenging education and opportunities to excel.

3.  A collaborative administrator with proven integrity, who can inspire and work successfully with a talented and diverse staff and an involved Board of Education.

4.  An organizational leader with knowledge of best practices and proven skills in utilizing data in short and long range planning and implementation.

5.  An approachable, transparent, and respected leader with superior skills in oral and written communications; an active listener who will be visible throughout the District and in the community at large.

Survey

School Leadership, LLC, in consultation with the Board of Education has created an online survey that we hope all students, staff, parents and members of the community will complete. This survey will be open from January 13th - January 20th.

Click here to access survey

Forums and Focus Groups

January 15, 2025

9:00AM – 11:30AM – Interim Superintendent and Assistant Superintendents – Central Administration Building

1:00PM - 2:00PM – All Administrators – KAM Annex Board Room

3:30PM - 4:30PM – All Faculty (Instructional) – Schreiber HS Auditorium

7:00PM - 8:30PM – Community Stakeholders – Schreiber HS Auditorium

January 16, 2025

7:30AM – 8:30 AM – All Faculty (Instructional) – ZOOM

8:45AM – 9:45AM – Union Co-Presidents – KAM Annex Board Room

10:00AM – 11:00AM - All Non-Faculty Staff: Clericals/Custodial Staff - KAM Annex Board Room

12:00PM – 1:30PM - Community Stakeholders – Port Washington Public Library Lapham Room

2:00PM – 3:00PM - PC/HSA/PTA Co-Presidents Community Leadership; Hearts/Ed Foundation/Vikings

7:00PM – 8:30PM – Community Stakeholders - ZOOM