BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 An assistant superintendent in Philadelphia schools has been chosen to head Bethlehem Area School District.<\/p>\n
Renato M. Lajara, as assistant superintendent for Network 8 in Philadelphia School District oversees 15 schools and more than 8,000 students, will take over for Superintendent Jack P. Silva, who will retire June 30.<\/p>\n
Lajara’s appointment will need approval of Bethlehem Area School Board, which next meets to adopt the district budget at 6 p.m. June 1.<\/p>\n
BASD news release<\/p>\n
Lajara’s appointment will need approval of Bethlehem Area School Board, which next meets to adopt the district budget at 6 p.m. June 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Lajara is a visionary, student-centered leader with a deep commitment to equity and excellence,\u201d board President Michael E. Faccinetto said in a news release.<\/p>\n
\u201cThroughout the search process, it was clear that his experience transforming school communities, supporting educators and delivering results for students sets him apart.<\/p>\n
“We are confident that under his leadership, the Bethlehem Area School District will continue to grow and thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lajara received a master’s degree and doctorate degree in educational leadership at Gwynedd Mercy University in Lower Gwynedd Township, Montgomery County. <\/p>\n
He also holds a Pennsylvania Superintendent Letter of Eligibility and Principal Certification.<\/p>\n
\u2018An accomplished leader\u2019<\/p>\n
A BASD released said Lajara “brings more than two decades of experience in public education, with a proven record of driving change and improving outcomes for students in diverse and complex school systems.<\/p>\n
“In this role, he has led strategic initiatives focused on academic achievement, equity, and organizational coherence, while collaborating closely with district leadership to implement a comprehensive five-year strategic plan.”<\/p>\n
“Throughout his career, Dr. Lajara has demonstrated success in transforming school culture, improving instructional practices, and closing opportunity gaps.” <\/p>\n
BASD release<\/p>\n
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Lajara is a product of the Philadelphia public school system.<\/p>\n
The BASD release said his “personal journey as an English language learner informs his deep commitment to ensuring all students, regardless of background, have access to a high-quality education.”<\/p>\n
“Dr. Lajara is an accomplished educational leader and dedicated student advocate known for his ethical, equitable and student-centered approach to leadership,” the release said.<\/p>\n
“Throughout his career, Dr. Lajara has demonstrated success in transforming school culture, improving instructional practices, and closing opportunity gaps.” <\/p>\n
\u2018A true partnership\u2019<\/p>\n
As a principal and district leader, Lajara “has led school turnaround efforts, implemented standards-based instructional systems, expanded access to inclusive programming,” it said.<\/p>\n
“His leadership has consistently resulted in stronger academic outcomes and more supportive, high-performing school environments for students and staff.”<\/p>\n
Together, we will build upon Bethlehem\u2019s solid foundation. I am excited to get started and to be a part of the Bethlehem community.”<\/p>\n
Bethlehem Area Schools Superintendent appointee Renato M. Lajara, in a statement<\/p>\n
In a statement, Lajara said, “It is an incredible privilege to have been chosen to lead the Bethlehem Area School District, a community renowned for its cultural vibrancy, rich educational traditions, and deep-rooted pride.<\/p>\n
“A school district thrives when it operates as a true partnership. Together, we will build upon Bethlehem\u2019s solid foundation. I am excited to get started and to be a part of the Bethlehem community. <\/p>\n
“I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the Board of Directors for this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silva has been superintendent since April 2023 and previously was the district’s assistant superintendent and chief academic officer. <\/p>\n
Silva, a 1982 graduate of Liberty High School, started working for the district in 2010.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 An assistant superintendent in Philadelphia schools has been chosen to head Bethlehem Area School District.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":197852,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,87789,87790,87791,155,154],"class_list":["post-197851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-area-school-and-renato-lajara","tag-bethlehem-area-schools-and-jack-silva","tag-bethlehem-area-schools-and-superintendent","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=197851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197851\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/197852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=197851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=197851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}