Interim Superintendent interviews Saturday
Published on February 4th, 1998
STONEHAM, MA - The Stoneham Public School System is about to learn that they are not alone--in their search for a new school superintendent.
In Massachusetts alone, there are currently 33 vacant or predicted vacancies in superintendent positions and countless others throughout New England.
Knowing the competition will be fierce for the top candidates, the Stoneham School Committee Tuesday night held a special meeting to discuss the process of selecting both an interim and full-time superintendent.
Current Supt. Dr. Ellen Bueschel has announced her resignation at the end of the school year due to family commitments in the midwest. She has been granted an unpaid leave of absence from March 2 until the end of the school year.
Drawing from a list provided by the state's school superintendent's association, as many as five potential interim superintendent candidates have come forward--several of whom Bueschel contacted personally about the part-time position. The School Committee will be accepting applications for the interim position until this Monday, but has already set up interviews with many of the candidates this Saturday, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
The School Committee has already indicated the interim superintendent, who will be actively involved in the FY 1998 budget process, will not be a candidate for the full-time position.
The School Committee, Tuesday night, voted to hire a private search company to assist with the initial stages of the superintendent search. The committee has yet to decide if the search will be nationwide although Bueschel has recommended that advertisements be sent outside of the state's borders.
School Committee members, however, did make it clear that they are looking for candidates who have a knowledge of Massachusetts Education Reform law and million dollar school construction projects.
School Committee member Jeanne Craigie said the private search company can help the school department prepare an advertisement that will attract the type of candidate they are looking for.
Bueschel also pointed out that while it is unethical for school representatives to recruit current superintendents, a search company can speak with sitting superintendents in the state who have school construction experience.
The School Committee is expected to choose an outside search firm at its February 12 meeting. The search company is also expected to suggest to the School Committee how many members it should choose for the local Search Committee that will weed through the submitted resumes.
School Committee Chairman Stephen Gucciardi indicated that he would support a small search committee consisting of a representative(s) from the School Committee, Teachers Association, school administration and parent(s).Gucciardi and the School Committee deferred any decision of that committee's make-up until February 12.
Gucciardi hopes the prospective Search Committee will be able to narrow the list of finalists to no more than a half-dozen for the School Committee to interview.
"It appears that for the first time we will be bringing in someone to the superintendent's position from outside the system," said Craigie, "We need to be very careful who we are hiring."
Subscribe and get Home Delivery of The Independent
Save 36% off the newstand price — that's like 18 FREE issues!