Irma Trosclair, a former Eunice educator, is among nine people who have applied for the job of interim superintendent of the Lafayette Parish school system.
Trosclair was principal at Eunice Elementary and is the wife of Paul Trosclair, athletic director and head football coach at Eunice High School.
Trosclair is an assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction in the Lafayette Parish school system.
The Advocate reported the applications were opened Monday.
Donald Aguillard, the current superintendent, is retiring May 17 when his contract expires.
Instead of hiring a permanent replacement, the board decided to hire an interim to serve until June 30, 2020. Board elections are this fall and the current board wanted the new board to be able to select its own superintendent.
Five people from Louisiana, two from Texas and two from Alabama submitted applications.
They include:
Brian Thomas Binggeli of Lucas, Texas;
Isaac Carrier of Spring Texas;
Larry E. Dichiara of Auburn, Alabama;
Dee Oscar Fowler of Madison, Alabama;
Jerome Puyau of Erath;
C. Michael Robinson Jr. of Thibodaux;
Camacia Smith-Ross of Baton Rouge;
Bart Thibodeaux of Church Point; and
Irma Trosclair of Eunice.
The Advocate reported to following bios for the applicants.
Binggeli is a former superintendent of schools in Brevard, Florida, and Plano, Texas. According to media reports, he abruptly resigned from the Plano school district in November 2017 after two years. He previously served as superintendent in Brevard six years where he saw the district through an economic downturn that led to $25 million in budget cuts in 2013 alone, including the closing of three elementary schools.
Carrier is an assistant professor at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and is managing director/co-owner of Carrier Instructional and Leadership Consultants in the Houston area. He was an assistant superintendent with the Spring, Texas, Independent School District from March 2015-June 2017; area superintendent/executive director of school leadership with the Dallas ISD from August 2012-March 2015; and principal of Plummer Middle School with the Aldine ISD in Houston from June 2007-July 2012.
DiChiara is currently president of SOY Education Associates, an education consulting firm, and has worked in education since the early 1980s. The 2012 Superintendent of the Year for Alabama, in February, was a finalist for the superintendent post in the Troup County School System in Georgia. He was a special ed teacher, assistant principal and principal in Loachapoka, Alabama, and was superintendent of Phenix City, Alabama, schools from 2004 until 2013, when the school board bought out his contract over a dispute. He was asked to pull together a team to take over the Selma City Schools for the state after an investigation found academic and sexual misconduct, leaving in 2015.
Fowler, who was chief of staff in the Alabama state superintendent of education office, retired in 2017 after 42 years in public education. He was superintendent of Madison, Alabama, City schools for nine years until November 2016 when he left to join the state education department.
Puyau has been superintendent of Vermilion Parish schools for seven years. The school board, in August, placed him on administrative leave following allegations he verbally attacked parents after a meeting, overruled board decisions and inappropriately used technology on school campuses. Puyau denied the allegations and resumed duties in November without a board vote.
Robinson was superintendent of schools in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, for two years until the board agreed to buy out his contract in June 2018 at his request. He previously held positions with school systems in Prince George’s County, Maryland, in the Atlanta metro area and in Texas and Louisiana, which is his home state. He applied in 2016 to be superintendent of East Baton Rouge schools.
Smith-Ross is executive director for pre-college and outreach for Southern University in Baton Rouge. She previously worked at Louisiana College and was director of Upward Bound at Dillard University. She applied for the Lafayette Parish superintendent position in 2011. At the time she listed her occupation as a consultant and author in New Orleans.
Thibodeaux is director of special education for the Lafayette Parish School System. He previously was a school administrator in Acadia Parish.
Trosclair worked with the Lafayette Parish School System starting in 2016 as its first school improvement administrator working with principals at Alice Boucher, J.W. Faulk and Carencro Heights elementary schools. Prior to that, she was principal at South Crowley Elementary School, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2015 for closing the achievement gap, and spent 10 years at Eunice Elementary School, a 2010 National Blue Ribbon School honored for consistent high performance scores, where she was principal.
