UPDATED: Chelmsford Superintendent Approved For Assistant Post in Framingham

Outgoing Chelmsford Superintendent of Schools Frank Tiano will be offered a 3-year contract to become Framingham’s new assistant superintendent.

The Framingham School Committee, in a split vote, approved Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott’s pick just before 10 p.m. Monday.

The vote was 4-1-1.

Framingham Patch sent out a breaking news alert after the vote last night.

School Committee members Heather Connolly, Donald Taggart, Jim Stockless, and Jim Kelly voted yes to approve Scott’s choice.

Chair Beverly Hugo voted no, stating she wanted more time to make a decision.

“I want to know with extreme confidence that you are the best fit,” said Hugo. “I am not ready to vote tonight. I have a few things I would like to research.”

School Committee member Eric Silverman abstained from the vote, also stating he wanted more time.

School Committee member Michelle Brosnahan was not at the meeting, but sent a letter to her Committee stating if she was there she would have voted to approve.

Silverman made a motion to table the vote until Thursday, July 2, but at least two School Committee members, said they would not be available. The motion was rejected 4-2.

“It is important to have parents, teachers, and students involved in the process,” said Framingham High senior class president Jake Binnall, who is one of two student representatives on the School Committee.

Binnall, who said he knew he did not have a vote, urged School Committee members to delay the vote.

Several parents and the Framingham Teachers Association also asked for a delay in the vote.

There was a discussion, but no formal motion, to have the vote next week, but even more School Committee members said they would not be available.

Several members of the audience questioned why Scott was not present at Monday’s meeting.

“I’m appalled that the Superintendent is not here,” said former School Committee member Rick Finlay. ”He can’t be here for his own hire?”

“I’m super disappointed that Dr. Scott is not here,” said parent Andrea Dunne Adrian, who said if the superintendent could not have been at the entire meeting that the meeting should have been rescheduled.

“I think it should say something to you Dr. Tiano that he is not here backing you up,” said Adrian.

“That’s not true,” interjected Hugo. ”This night was convenient for the School Committee.”

The district’s HR director said Scott was attending a technology conference and would arrive at the meeting at 9:05 p.m.

Editor’s Note: Scott did arrive after 9 p.m.

Town Wide PTO co-president Deb Hurowitz questioned why a vote on the district’s school calendar requires two meetings of the School Committee before a vote but a vote to hire an assistant superintendent is announced on Thursday evening and takes place on a Monday night, in a special meeting not on the School Committee’s regular meeting night.

Committee members Hugo and Connolly explained that under state law, the Framingham Superintendent is in charge of selecting his own team. The School Committee only has the right to approve or reject a candidate.

The Framingham Public Schools sent a press release Thursday afternoon announcing Scott’s pick for the district new assistant superintendent. in that press release, the district announced a meet and greet for parents, staff, students, and the public to meet Tiano at 6 p.m. , with a special School Committee meeting at 7 p.m.

More than 50 parents and staff attended Monday’s night’s meeting.

The Framingham Teachers Association co-presidents spoke out against the selection, adding that no teacher was included in the selection process, and specifically citing a no confidence vote in Tiano by the Chelmsford teachers union.

“The fact that the teachers took a vote of no confidence should be largely concerning, no matter how positive a picture the district leaders or Chelmsford school committee try to paint. The reality is, we have had more than a few members ask us about doing a vote of no confidence right here in Framingham, and to me, it is pretty alarming that we would add another questionable piece to an already complex puzzle,” said FTA co-president Sarah McKeon.

Editor’s Note: Click here to read the FTA’s entire statement.

Tiano’s contract with Chelmsford ends June 30, 2016, but he agreed to resign effective July 1, 2015, according to a joint press release issued by himself and the Chelmsford School Committee in March.

Tiano said in regards to the no confidence vote, it does not speak to his relationship with staff.

He said he has successfully negotiated eight contracts and has a solid relationship with staff during his 15 years in the district.

Prior to Chelmsford, he worked in the Nashua, New Hampshire, school district for a decade. Framingham would be only his third district in 25 years.

Many parents questioned the news reports in the Lowell Sun, a daily newspaper that covers Chelmsford, which cited financial mismanagement issues that included an $800,000 deficit in the district, which required the layoff of three administrators and the need for Tiano to let go of the district’s business manager. The newspaper also cited communications issues, specifically in regards to an incident, in which a staff member was eventually arrested for inappropriately touching a student.

Tiano said his hands were tied on that issue. He said the Chelmsford Police Chief said he handled the situation appropriately, and that the communication problem started when someone leaked information to the Lowell Sun.

“You can look at my 25 year career, or you can look at this much of Google for the last couple of months,” said Tiano referring to the Lowell Sun published reports in the last year.

Tiano told the audience during the meet & greet, he could show hundreds of cards and emails and talk about hugs at CVS, from those who believe he was doing a great job in Chelmsford. He said some people are “devastated” he is leaving.

“If you had my resume, I can give you a copy, I can say communication is the accomplishment I am most proud of in Chelmsford,” said Tiano during the meet & greet.

The Framingham district did not release Tiano’s resume.

When asked last night to release the resume by parents, the HR director said the district is not required to do so.

Tiano said the Chelmsford’s district website is updated daily and a weekly newsletter goes out to staff and parents.

Tiano told the School Committee he would bring “dedication” and “honesty” to the district. Those were two character traits he said he has, in response to a question from Taggart.

Taggart said he was deluged with letters from parents, staff and the community about the vote on Tiano and mentioned not one letter said to hire Tiano.

Now that the School Committee approved Scott’s choice of Tiano, a 3-year contract will be negotiated with him to start with Framingham.

The School Committee went into a closed door meeting last night, after the vote, to continue to negotiate a contract. The School Committee spent time in a closed door meeting discussing that contract during the meet & greet period last night too.

Tiano fills the vacancy left open by the early resignation of former Assistant Superintendent Mark Prince, who left the Framingham Public School district after just 1 year. He was paid $135,000 a year.

Tiano was Scott’s second selection for a finalist for Assistant Superintendent this year.

The process this time however was different than the last time a candidate was presented, and when Prince was hired.

A search committee was formed this spring to review resumes and interview candidates this time.

Members of the search committee included COO Ed Gotgart, School Committee member Connolly, Cameron Middle principal, the interim high school principal, the special needs director, the family and community engagement director and the Executive Director for the Office of the Superintendent.

No parent or teacher was on the search committee.

The Committee reviewed resumes after the HR director narrowed them down. The search committee chose to interview 9 candidates and recommended 3 finalists to Scott. He invited two individuals to come to the district to meet with staff.

The HR director said she believed two of the nine elementary principals met with Tiano during his visit.

Part of his job description would be to evaluate and supervise the elementary principals.

Others parts of the job is to be the district’s Title IX coordinator and oversee the district’s communications policy.

Framingham Patch posted the job description in April.

Tiano said he was drawn to Framingham for its vision.

“I love what is happening here,” said Tiano. ”I look for districts that are building.”

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Editor’s Note: Last night’s School Committee meeting was to be broadcast live but there were technical difficulties and at times no sound for the audience at home watching. The town’s educational channel will re-broadcast the meeting today at 2 and 6 p.m. with sound.