Incoming Chambersburg superintendent sees new role as 'world class opportunity'

Dr. Dion Betts may not have been looking for anything new when he decided to apply to lead Chambersburg Area School District, but it was a job opening he couldn't pass up. 

The current assistant superintendent at the School District of Philadelphia always dreamed of becoming a superintendent, he but didn't want to move out of state. He said he was drawn to the position in Chambersburg because it was a chance for him to stay in central Pennsylvania, where he has been for nearly three decades, and become part of a well-respected educational organization. 

"I thought, here's a world-class opportunity just down the road from me," he said. 

After several months of searching, the school board unanimously approved Betts to replace current superintendent Dr. Joseph Padasak, who has led the district since 2006. He was offered a five-year contract, which begins on July 1 and ends on June 30, 2024. Padasak will stay on in his current role until his contract expires on June 30. 

Although the move will be a shift for Betts, he is already familiar with how smaller school systems operate. In addition to living in Lancaster and having two daughters who attend a district of less than 6,000 students, he has worked in rural areas as a pupil services administrator. 

“I feel like it would be like coming home in many ways," he said. 

There are also parallels between every district, large and small, according to Betts. He discussed how both types of educational institutions have students with different learning needs, like special education, and are seeing an influx of those whose families primarily speak a language other than English. 

Special education and English-as-a-second-language, or ESL, have been challenges for Chambersburg over the past few years. According to data from the state's department of education, the number of special education students jumped a percent and a half over the past three years, making up 12.4 percent of the district's total population during the 2017-18 school year. The number of English-language learners jumped about a half percent over a two-year period, but decreased last year, making up only 7.3 percent of all students. 

There are several ways to increase efficiency and handle this concern, Betts said. He said he thinks many districts make the mistake of categorizing teachers and students with certain labels - like special education, gifted and English-language learner. Children are then pulled from the general classroom to go to these labeled classrooms for similar instruction. 

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A better approach, according to Betts, is to find out what students in each building need, combine them into small groups based on these needs and provide them with research-based interventions. He also recommended keeping children in the general classroom and having small group instruction, so students can learn together and are not segregated by labels. 

"You're using staff in a way that is more efficient, is better for children and, frankly, yields better achievement," he continued. 

This isn't the only idea he's bringing to the table. Betts has been looking at several aspects of Chambersburg he feel could be improved, including: 

1. Expecting children to master reading and math by third grade, because he said it becomes harder to teach after this point. 
2. Making sure the district is preparing students for careers in college or technical education after graduation. Betts discussed how he wants to ensure students are prepared when they move to the next step in their educational careers. "We might have a good college acceptance rate, but the kids don't stay in college. They drop out, and often times, because they're not ready for the challenge," he continued. Betts added high-school instruction should be challenging, so students are interested and successfully make this transition. 
3. Looking at the retention and professional development of staff. Betts discussed how Chambersburg should have the best, most capable faculty, staff and administrators, which requires ongoing coaching and development. Recently, he met with the Chambersburg Area Education Association's co-president to talk about building trust and creating an environment where employees can learn from each other and have the freedom to make mistakes. 
4. Ensuring the district is fiscally stable, and has a balanced budget every year that is focused on its goals. 

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However, it's also about listening, observing and assessing the district, which Betts will be able to do before he takes the reigns this summer. He will officially start in Chambersburg in March as the chief educational officer until his superintendent contract begins. 

Betts noted working the with board is an important piece of the puzzle to developing and implementing strategies and goals, and finding ways to assess their progress. 

“I’m a believer in accountability, and I hold myself accountable for positive change," he continued. 

In fact, the board is one of the reasons Betts was attracted to the job. He said it seemed like it had smart, positive people who he feels he would work well with. 

“It’s very good to work for a board that understands the superintendent’s role," Betts added. 

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