Swampscott Middle School Principal Pegged As Lone Superintendent Finalist

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — What had the potential to be a lengthy and far-reaching search for the next Swampscott Superintendent of Schools gained considerable momentum toward a speedy conclusion at the last School Committee meeting when retiring Superintendent Pamela Angelakis endorsed Swampscott Middle School Principal Jason Calichman as her successor.

The recommendation came after a consultant the School Committee engaged on the process advised to examine internal candidates for a fit given the difficulties other area districts have had filling superintendent positions with limited candidate pools and extensive turnover.

"This job is so heavily weighted in interpersonal skills," said Angelakis, who in June said that she is retiring at the end of this school year. "Whether it's with students or parents or families or the community, you have to have the ability to adapt on the fly every single day. And so in analyzing my leadership team, particularly in the last couple of years, there is one person who has risen to the top who I think would be incredibly well-suited to this position.

"They are dedicated to this community. I'd like to think this person bleeds blue. I will go on about why as soon as I name Jason Calichman as the person I think would be the appropriate choice."

Angelakis cited Calichman's 13 years in the district as assistant principal and principal — for the last nine years — at the middle school, and how he has helped build a strong culture there, as one basis for her support of him as the next superintendent.

"The middle school is our flagship," she said, "and it is our flagship because of Mr. Calichman's leadership. He is the Tasmanian devil — extremely visible. He is around in every classroom two times, if not three times, a day."

She also cited his exemplary rating in reviews, and his willingness to get involved with leadership ideas and decisions and develop his understanding of budget issues as other reasons for her recommendation.

"I see this drive and intelligence in him that I think will easily transition this leadership position," she said.

While School Committee members generally seemed to support the recommendation and Calichman's candidacy, the process will continue with a formal interview within the next couple of weeks.

School Committee Chair Glenn Paster asked that any students, staff, families or stakeholders with questions for the interview forward them to the School Committee or individual School Committee members for compilation.

"I am excited to formalize the interview process," Paster said, "to continue down the road and to see where that leads us in the coming weeks."

Angelakis concluded: "The thing I continue to hear School Committee members say is: 'Someone who knows our community,' and to me it's 'somebody we know.'

"Because all you have to do is pick up the (news) and see behaviors in leaders with districts. So I think it's mutually important that we know the character of this person."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)