LIVE BLOG: Supt. Candidate Johnson Interview

As the Hopkinton School Committee looks to replace , their first step is to find an interim superintendent to lead the district while a permanent district head can be found.

The second candidate is Steven Hiersche who until last month served as a superintendent in Framingham. 

Mary Ellen Johnson holds a Doctor of Organizational Leadership degree from Columbia University, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Antioch University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Delta State University in Mississippi. She has previously served as superintendent for Sandwich Public Schools, and for the New York City Board of Education. Prior to those positions, Dr. Johnson held various curriculum director and principal posts.  She began her career as a teacher in the Boston and Brookline Public Schools.

8:30 "If I were selected for this position I think that when June 30th comes you would all be proud of the work that we had accomplished."

8:28 Aghababian: mentoring the administator. Burdick: Common core alignment and teacher evaluations, previous experience for that would be key. Graziano: 1:1 program support to the High School to make sure that is succesfull. Bertschmann: Maintaining important relationships across the town leadership and the community are going to be critical to our maintaining an even keel moving through this year.

8:27 what's one thing you would like to see from the Superintendent and what are your goals for the current year?

8:26 what questions do you have for us?

8:25 One person said it was because they wanted their own person. New members didn't agree with what had been done during her tenure in regards to shifting money to the district from the community school.

8:22 NEW QUESTION What is your opinion as to why the School Committee didn't want to renew your contract.

8:14 "We started out really early working with the Selectmen and the Town Manager to figure out where the budget is going to fall and what is a realistic budget for the schools."

"We started in October with a zero budget, not just rolling ovr dollars and cents."

Rough budget in December, public hearing in January and final School Committee approval by the end of January.

Johnson said she did a lot of work streamlining the special ed programs and making them more cost effective. I.e. in house transportation to out of district schools, and designed a new program for in district students.

8:20 "There are probably 16 or 16 things in your strategic plan that I have already done, so it would be very easy for me to come in and get those done."

Specifically school building project, virtual learning, foreign language, science curriculum.

"I was impressed with your plan because it's very clear plan and it gives someone like myself coming in an idea where your visions are and where your headed."

"When I read your strategic plan I saw that it alligned with my own mission vision and goals."

8:18 What do you think about our strategic plan?

8:11 Can you tell us about your priorities and approach to the budget?

8:10 "You have to have a very systematic approach to running schools." 

"My focus is really on instruction and learning, I set goals for the students as well as the principals." "I think you motivate people when you set goals for people in their learning."

8:08 What's your management style?

8:07 "I attended events that previous superintendents didn't attend and I think being out there and giving them a smile helps make them more comfortable."

"I'm here working basically for the parents, it's the community's schools."

"I would be very approachable, I want to hear what they have to say and I think that's key." 

8:04 How do you get the community involved and how do you convince them that you're going to take their concerns seriously?

8:03 Open door policy, retreats together, team building etc. Advised principals to attend the learning opportunities with teachers so that they are all equals and they are all learning together.

"In Sandwich I worked with now principals and I took the time to talk to them about what you see and what your noticing during walk-throughs.:

"It's important that you develop a very trusting relationship with your principals. I set high expectations for them but those are the same high expectations I set for myself."

8:00 Can you talk about your experience building relationships with your administrative team?

7:57 "I always feel that technology isn't something that happens at 10 in the morning on Tuesday, it's something that's on-going."

"I think a teachers greatest fear is that they are going to be using technology in the classroom and something won't work, you need to find creative ways to deal with that."

"The students are coming to school often with more skills than we have, and sometimes we end up going to them for help. That's ok."

Johnson said she used to blog as superintendent as Sandwich.

7:55 What is your understanding of technology in our district and where would your priorities lie?

7:52 Johnson did her doctoral dissertation on leadership styles, what works and what doesn't work. "As the superintendent I have the responsibility of making decisions that are often going to impact other peoples lives," Johsnon said. "People watch that and how I perform as a leader is really going to set the standard for how other people perform."

"If you're going to have a high-performing district you need to have the ability to take risks."

"I'm always visible, parents feel comfortable talking to me and reaching out to me. I'm very approachable and I think that is very important."

7:50 What makes you a good fit for this position?

7:40 "When I was hired [at Sandwich Public Schools] they were in a position of moving forward and had a number of ambitious goals," Johnson said. At the end of her most recent contract it was renewed, but after an election a different group of school committee members un-renewed it. Later a judge ruled they couldn't un-renew it, but she didn't return.

"I am familiar with your district and I feel like we share the same values and expectations in terms of education."

Johnson said she likes the size of the district and the proximity of the schools because she likes to get out in to the schools to work with the administrators and staff.

7:39 Background etc.

7:37 A little late, but Johnson just arrived and greeted the committee.

On Monday night, Dennis Duquette and  were interviewed by the School Committee.