In July, the District bid farewell to retiring Superintendent Dr. Joseph W. Carroll, Jr., and welcomed Dr. Stephen M. Vak as Interim Superintendent.  The retired Dr. Vak spent 22 years as superintendent in the Kiski Area School District and also served as interim superintendent in the Franklin Regional School District and interim business manager in the Armstrong County School District.  Prior to his time at Kiski, he served as assistant, substitute, and superintendent in the Pine Grove Area School District.  He was a Mathematics teacher in the Schuylkill Haven and North Schuylkill Area School Districts.  He also taught Mathematics at Penn State University-Schuylkill Campus, taught gifted students at the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit, and was a School Finance Instructor at California State University of Pennsylvania.
 
Dr. Vak's educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Susquehanna University and Master of Arts and Doctor of Education in Educational Administration from Lehigh University.  He has authored several articles and been selected for a National Science Foundation Grant.  He has served as a Pennsylvania Department of Education evaluator for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) programs, which emphasize equal access to education and establish high standards of accountability.  He has presented on a variety of topics at both state and national conferences.  He has also taken part in a wide range of community activities, from the Red Cross to the Kiwanis Club to the Boys Scouts of America.
 
Dr. Vak came to the attention of School President Joseph Bailey, who called him to ask if he was interested in the position.  Dr. Vak met with the School Board and said he was very frank with them regarding board-related issues.  Although the Board liked him, he said they were concerned about his commitment to the District.  "If I do this," he told them, "I will be committed."  His method of operation, he explained, is that "if I do any job, it's going to be done right" and will get done.
 
The Board tasked Dr. Vak with two main priorities:  accountability and increasing student achievement as measured by the state assessments.  He said his goal for Penn Hills is to show growth and improvement in the District.  "If everyone does a good job," he said, "I believe they can reach this goal."  The value, he explained, in state assessments for reading and math is that they give every student in Pennsylvania a good shot at getting the best education as well as exposing schools that need to improve.  However, he stated, everyone has to get on the right page to show improvement.
 
Dr. Vak said he is not here just filling time but rather to improve areas he feels need to be improved.  He looks at Penn Hills as a challenge and wants to try to get it back on track as a great school district.  And, while he will not be part of the selection process for the next superintendent, he will train that person.  Ultimately, he said, he is laying the foundation for the next superintendent, hopefully providing the necessary tools for a successful tenure for that person.
 
Mr. Bailey said the District considers itself fortunate to have gotten a professional of the caliber of Dr. Vak to step in to the Interim Superintendent position.  "Along with his many years of experience as a superintendent, Dr. Vak specifically has demonstrated an ability to increase student achievement," Mr. Bailey said. "This, along with emphasizing accountability across the District, is what will move the District forward and lay a strong foundation for a new, permanent Superintendent," he added.