There will be a change in leadership at the Wissahickon School District. On September 30th, Superintendent Dr. James Crisfield announced his retirement in a message to the district’s students and families. He will be staying through the end of the 2024/25 school year.
That was followed by an announcement during that evening’s school board meeting that the board intends to promote the district’s current assistant superintendent, Dr. Mwenyewe Dawan, to superintendent effective July 1, 2025. In a statement released by the board, the board shared that the district is preparing contract documents for Dr. Dawan and that the board will take official action on the promotion during the November 4th meeting.
In his announcement, Supertindent Dr. Crisfield shared, “Being Wissahickon’s superintendent for the past decade has been the highlight of my professional career. Other than my teaching days in a classroom full of high school students, nothing has been as rewarding and fulfilling as being part of Wiss Nation these past ten years.”
“We are thrilled to have an exceptional, highly acclaimed educational leader like Dr. Dawan ready to step in and keep our district moving forward” said President Ginsburg, “and we are grateful to Dr. Crisfield for his years of leadership and service to this community and to the students of Wiss Nation.”
Dr. Dawan came to the Wissahickon School District in 2021 after nine years at the Phoenixville Area School District. She served first as a supervisor of student services and curriculum and then as a principal and district DEI leader. She has also been an adjunct professor at Arcadia University and Saint Joseph’s University. She began her career in education as a teacher at the Perkiomen School District in 2003.
Dr. Dawan earned a bachelor of science in early childhood education from Temple University and a master of science in special education and reading specialist from Saint Joseph’s University. She then obtained a doctor of education in special education from Arcadia and a superintendent’s letter of eligibility from Saint Joseph’s University.
Photos: Crisfield from Wissahickon School District. Dawan from Twitter.