John J. Brady, principal of Westport’s Staples High School, met with parents, students and community leaders in the Amity Regional School District today where he is the finalist candidate to become superintendent of schools.
John Brady: sounding like he already has the Amity job. Cablevision News-12/WestportNow.com photo
In an interview with Cablevision News-12, Brady, 52, sounded very much like he already had the job, even though he has yet to sign a contract with the district that covers Orange, Woodbridge, and Bethany.
“I’m committed to Amity,” he said. “I want to work together with what I think is a very forward -looking and forward-thinking board. I know that there have been problems here in the recent past. I ‘m confident that those problems are behind us.”
Brady was referring to budget problems that forced district voters to go to the polls 17 times before passing the school district’s 2002-2003 budget. There have also been problems with mold at the schools.
Amity District school principals who visited Westport last week told community leaders here they had only learned several days earlier that Brady was the finalist candidate.
They said he was particularly attractive to the district because it is about to embark on a multi-million dollar school building program.
Brady, who took over in 2002 as the Staples principal, has overseen the $74 million Staples renovation and expansion project.
He has told friends here that he had not sought out the job and only entered into serious discussions several weeks ago after he was approached by a headhunter.
Brady said while he regrets leaving Westport—where he has also served as deputy superintendent in the district and where his three children attended Staples—the Amity job was too challenging to pass up.
He has told colleagues that if he leaves for the Amity position, he is likely to stay in Westport until the year-end holidays.
