Allentown School District Appoints 16th Superintendent

ALLENTOWN, Pa., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The school board directors of Allentown School District are pleased to announce the appointment of the District's 16th superintendent, Gerald L. Zahorchak, D.Ed., the current Secretary of Education of Pennsylvania.

"As the vote by the school board's nine members indicates, and based on input from community leaders, parents and leaders of professional groups, we believe that Dr. Zahorchak is best equipped to lead our District," says Jeff Glazier, president of the Allentown School Board. "We look forward to working with him to achieve the educational goals we have set out to accomplish for Allentown's children." His appointment is effective July 1, 2010.

Recognized throughout the nation as a leader with documented ability to coalesce diverse groups of educators and community leaders in an effort to reach strategic goals, Dr. Zahorchak was appointed by Governor Edward G. Rendell (2002 – 2010) to the post of Pennsylvania's Secretary of Education in September 2005 and unanimously confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate (www.pde.state.pa.us). He served as Deputy Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education in the Pennsylvania Department of Education from 2003 – 2005.

Prior, Dr. Zahorchak served as superintendent of the Greater Johnstown School District.

Dr. Zahorchak completed his superintendent certification and earned a doctoral degree in education administration from The Pennsylvania State University in 1994. He began his professional education at Saint Francis College, Loretto, PA, earning a BS degree in education in 1980. At Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Zahorchak received his master's degree in education in 1987 with certifications. He is a native of Johnstown, PA.

"I'm very pleased to be going to Allentown," Dr. Zahorchak said. "The Allentown School District was extraordinarily well-aligned with our initiatives at the Department of Education developed over the last seven years. Because of the good work of Superintendent Dr. Karen Angello, the percentage of students achieving at grade level is way up from 2003 levels. I am eager to engage with their first-class teachers and school, business and community leaders."  Dr. Angello has served in Allentown from 2002 – 2010 and is retiring after more than 40 years of public education service.

www.allentownsd.org

www.state.pa.us

SOURCE Allentown School District