Framingham School Committee Candidates Discuss How to Hire and Maintain Principals, Administrators

On Tuesday, April 7, Framingham voters will decide which of three candidates will be elected to the 7-member Framingham School Committee.

There are two 3-year terms available this year, as incumbent Andy Limeri chose not to seek re-election. On the ballot are incumbent Beverly Hugo, Jim Kelly, and Scott Wadland.

Patch asked each of the candidates a series of questions. The answers to those questions are being published this week. One question will run through Saturday, March 28.

Monday’s question: What do you see as the major strength of the Framingham Public Schools? The district’s major weakness? How as a School Committee member would you address the weakness? Click here to read those answers.

Tuesday’s question: Framingham School Committee sets policy for the district. What policy would you like to revise or create for the district? Why? Click here to read those answers.

Wednesday’s question: School staff and district parents in a recent survey complained about the lack of communication and transparency by the district’s administration, specifically the Superintendent. How can the School Committee - and what would you do specifically - to fix the issue the two major stakeholders in the district have? Click here to read those answers.

Thursday’s question: The state in its review of the district cited an achievement gap. Some schools perform better than others. Some students perform better than others. Name 3 things, you would do as Committee member, to help the district close that gap and provide a high-quality education for every Framingham student, regardless of which elementary or middle school they attend. Click here to read those answers.

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Today’s report focuses on hiring and maintaining top administrators for the district.

Candidates were asked: What role can the School Committee play in helping the district to maintain and attract high-quality administrators and principals in the district?

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Kelly: ”The School Committee must insist on the Superintendent’s looking at internal candidates before stepping outside for other options. FPS would benefit from a strong, internal leadership or mentoring program which identifies and develops internal candidates for future administrative roles such as principalships. Having a pool of internal candidates who are familiar with district history, relationships, initiatives and goals will certainly help ensure a commitment to the position.

While the district has sadly suffered disturbances in several critical positions including two principalships that lasted less than a full year, there are examples of internal candidates who have successfully made the jump from classroom teacher to administrator. These people have demonstrated through their efforts and commitment to furthering their professional development and growth, that internal candidates have vested interest in student successes and education. They know what it takes to be face to face with our student body day in and out. They balance the view of all staff including the maintenance crew, office administrators, paraprofessionals and lead teachers with that of upper administration.

It is crucial that a second set of eyes, in this case the School Committee, have a chance to reflect upon and share it’s opinion of the fit of a candidate especially if it is at the upper administrative level. Adding more management does not ensure improvement in closing achievement gaps or strengthening twenty-first century skills. We must continue to ask, “Why is this position being created or filled? How will this directly impact the students in the schools? Is there an existing position within the district that can take this need on, or is this a duplication?”. Unfortunately, there tends to be a sense that it’s the School Committee and the administration versus the teachers and that certainly shouldn’t to be the case. The School Committee should take on the role of a neutral party that hears the needs and case from all stakeholders and helps bring a common ground that meets the needs of both, and ultimately benefits the student body.”

Wadland: ”Given the recent history of school leaders leaving within a year or two of being hired, the primary role that the School Committee should play is to work with the school administration to review, refine and revise the hiring policies and practices for principals and senior administrators. Such a review should consider, at a minimum:

• Developing an open and collaborative interview process, where multiple stakeholder groups have an opportunity to give input to the Superintendent who has the ultimate responsibility and authority to hire. Depending on the specific role, these stakeholder groups could include parents, peers of the position being advertised, the School Committee, etc.
• Reaching out to experts in the field of education staffing as well as School Committee members and administrators from towns that have been successful in attracting and retaining senior leaders, to understand best practices in this area.
• Incorporating succession planning into the hiring process. When a principal or senior administrator leaves the district, we obviously want to minimize the impact felt in the schools and in the classrooms. This I believe can only be accomplished when we have folks in place that can help out on an “interim” basis until longer-term plans can be established. And with it being a possibility that we could lose leaders to other districts, I think this is a situation we need to be prepared for.”

Hugo: ”In defining the role to be played by the school committee, the initial consideration is understanding what roles the Committee is allowed to play in the hiring process. Under the Massachusetts Education Reform Act (MERA), the School Committee may only hire a small handful of administrators. These positions are:
• The Superintendent (G.L. c.71, §§37)
• Assistant or Associate Superintendents (but only upon recommendation of the candidate by the Superintendent, meaning that there must be good cause shown for refusal to confirm) (G.L. c.71, §59)
• School business Administrator, Special Education Administrator, Physicians, Nurses, Supervisor of Attendance, and School Counsel. (G.L. c.71 §41, c.71B §3A, c.71 §53, c.76 §19, c.71 §§37E, 37F).
All other personnel including principals, and assistant principals are exclusively within the hiring power of the Superintendent.

That said, the School Committee is not without some level of influence. The influence to be wielded by the Committee is limited to performing the Superintendent’s annual review or terminating him/her. While MERA allows a Superintendent great latitude, it is always more prudent for there to be a symbiotic relationship with the Board members to whom he/she answers.

Under MERA, the School Committee is left in charge of only two areas – budget and policy. To claim that the Committee has other powers, is to not understand the law. While confining, and not well understood by most members of the public, it is the law we must adhere to.

Our school system has had many superintendents in a short number of years. Some made decisions in total secrecy, while others were open and collaborative. It is the role of the School Committee to develop and nurture a mutually respectful relationship with the Superintendent so that community needs and accountability issues are properly addressed.

In addition to the above statutory schemes, the State has adopted certain recommendations. Under MERA, most traditional power of the School Board was shifted to the Superintendent. Regulators point to the fact that this paradigm shift is a positive: School Committees need not be concerned with personnel issues and can concentrate upon policy issues, leaving the superintendent and principals accountable for the staff they manage. Practice may, in fact, not bear that out – especially where some hires are predictably bad before they were made.

The State Department of Elementary & Secondary Education further says that it is good management practice for the superintendent to keep the School Committee apprised of appointments and he/she, “should consult with other key parties in the (hiring) process.”

The school committee’s role in hiring high quality administrators is to insist that the Superintendent consult with, and keep an open dialog with the Committee in all phases of the hiring of all high level administrators. In the process of hiring a principal, the Committee should insist that the affected community be included in the process, and that their concerns be addressed openly and with complete transparency.

Retention is best accomplished by promoting a positive work climate with adequate resources through the Board’s budgetary function and insisting on open lines of communication by periodic meetings with all stakeholders to discuss issues before they become problems.”