Governing in Crisis: COVID, Classrooms and Community-Planning for a New School Year.

Web series interview premieres:

September 8, 2020

Dr. Robert Scherrer, Executive Director of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.

WATCH THE VIDEO USING THIS LINK.

This fall more than 56 million students are getting ready to return for the new school year. Normally this is a time of excitement for schools and families, but this school year will be unlike any we have seen as school districts are presented with unique challenges related to fostering a safe and productive education environment during the pandemic.

Dr. Scherrer currently serves as the Executive Director of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. The AIU is a regional public education agency and a crucial part of Pennsylvania's public education system. The mission of the AIU is to maximize educational opportunities for all learners by responding to the needs of the community with leading-edge, high-quality, cost-effective programs and services. AIU educators, administrators and support staff provide specialized services to Allegheny County's 42 suburban school districts as well as non-public, charter and vocational-technical schools. The agency serves as a liaison with the Pennsylvania Department of Education and proudly operates three schools for exceptional children, 10 family centers and approximately 130 programs for children, adults and families in the region.

Previously, Dr. Scherrer was the Superintendent of the North Allegheny School District. North Allegheny is consistently recognized as one of the top school districts in the United States. He first joined North Allegheny in 2013 as the Assistant Superintendent of K-12 Education, later became the Acting Superintendent, and was named Superintendent in 2016. During his tenure, his efforts focused on the development and implementation of the Measuring Success Framework, a more holistic way of framing school success beyond traditional test scores and rankings. This Framework focuses on Achievement and Growth, Future Preparation, School Climate, and Student and Staff Wellness. In addition, he facilitated the development and implementation of FOCUS 2020, an effort to transform the learning environment for students by providing a 1:1 computing environment, equitable access to technology resources across the District, and providing appropriate instructional and technical support to staff to support a modern learning environment.

Prior to his time at North Allegheny, Dr. Scherrer served as an administrator in the Pittsburgh Public School District; first as the Principal of Allderdice High School and then as the founding Principal of the Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, a grades 6-12 magnet school focusing on STEM education. He also served as an administrator in the Peters Township and Woodland Hills School Districts, and began his career as a teacher at Baldwin High School where he won the Pennsylvania Business Educator of the Year Award and developed an award-winning entrepreneurship program.

Dr. Scherrer received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Education, a Master of Education in Business Education, and his Principal’s Certification from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He earned his Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility and Doctorate of Education in Administrative and Policy Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, where his dissertation focused on teacher evaluation.

Over the years Dr. Scherrer has been an active member of numerous professional organizations and associations and has presented at a number of national, state and regional conferences. He has also received a number of professional awards and recognitions during his career. Dr. Scherrer and his wife, Jen, currently reside in Wexford and are the proud parents of two children, Olivia and Max.