By Gary Weckselblatt
Superintendent Dr. William E. Harner has been voted to the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators Board of Governors by the superintendents of Bucks County schools. He will be serving a three-year term as a regional representative for the 13 school districts served by the Bucks County Intermediate Unit.
Pennsylvania education leaders noted Dr. Harner’s track record as a highly experienced strategic innovator and a champion for children and public education.
“The Bucks County team of superintendents is a supportive, collaborative network of professional colleagues working together toward the shared goal of supporting Bucks County’s students,” said Mark Hoffman, executive director of the BCIU. “Dr. Harner embodies this spirit and attitude. His colleagues in Bucks County have placed their trust in him to leverage his varied experiences as a leader within and apart from public education to advocate for the best interests of our students and schools as our county’s appointed delegate to the PASA Board of Governors. I wish Dr. Harner success and look forward to collaborating with him as he serves as our county’s ambassador to this important professional network of superintendents from across the Commonwealth.”
Dr. Sherri Smith, PASA executive director, retired superintendent, and former secretary of education, said “PASA is pleased to have Dr. Bill Harner join the PASA Board of Governors. Dr. Harner is to be commended for exhibiting positive leadership and having the trust of his colleagues to represent them in this prestigious board. It speaks to his dedication to the education of our students, not only in his district but statewide. We look forward to Dr. Harner’s contributions moving forward.”
Dr. Harner has been Quakertown Community School District’s superintendent since January 2014. He previously served as the Acting Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Superintendent of Cumberland Valley School District in Pennsylvania and Greenville County Schools in South Carolina, Deputy to the CEO of Philadelphia School District, and Principal of Gainesville Middle School in Georgia and Hilton Head High School in South Carolina.
As a transformational and inspirational leader of character, he has vast experience in improving student performance in urban, suburban, and rural communities. As a result, he is a frequent presenter at state and national level conferences on improving culture, changing leadership, and advancing student achievement in culturally and economically diverse student populations.
These efforts were noticed by the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg, which awarded him the Torch of Global Enlightenment Award for 2020. Honorees represent the highest ideals of global engagement and enlightenment. Dr. Harner was specifically recognized for exemplifying the ideals of inclusiveness, respect for diversity, multiculturalism, and interfaith dialogue. Under his leadership, QCSD was honored by The Peace Center for implementing its diversity and inclusion program for elementary school students, “Celebrating Me, Celebrating You,” at a district-wide level. Dr. Harner was nationally recognized during his service in two previous school districts for gifted education and building comprehensive libraries.
PASA promotes the general educational welfare of the people of the Commonwealth, evaluates and proposes desirable educational legislation, protects and advances the interests of its members, advances public education and educational standards in our schools, and establishes and maintains cooperative relationships among all organizations and agencies affecting education.
Gary Weckselblatt, QCSD Director of Communications, writes about the people and the programs that impact the Quakertown Community School District. He can be reached at 215-529-2028 or [email protected]