19 People Applied For Superintendent Of Waltham Schools

WALTHAM, MA — The search committee has begun the process of reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates for the next Superintendent of Waltham Public Schools.

In total, the district received 19 applications, seven of whom were from women, according to school committee member John Frassica. The names of the candidates are not made public until the last round, which is set for the first week of November. The next round of interviews will be held Sunday, Oct. 20, and then Oct. 27. After the interviews on Oct. 27, the committee will then choose finalists to recommend to the School Committee.

George Frost, who was the administrator of human resources for the schools, slid into the superintendent role at the end of last school year, as former Superintendent Drew Echelson stepped down after four years at the helm. Frost is set to be in position temporarily until a permanent superintendent is found.

The new superintendent would oversee a budget of about $91,550,620 across 10 schools and a pre school and some 5,692 students, 50.6 of which English is not their first language. Of the student population 49.5 percent are considered low Income, and 15.6 percent are considered needing special education.

The next superintendent would be expected to usher in and follow through the master plan for the new high school building project, address diversity needs and education gaps in the district.

The search committee is made up of 15 people, including three school committee members, two administrators, three faculty members, three parents, two community members, and representative of the special education team and of an English language learner.

Although Echelson stepped down at the end of last school year, the school committee decided to wait until mid September have the search committee hold its first meeting in an effort to involve as many people as possible. The deadline for candidates to apply was listed as Oct. 4. with an estimated notification date of December 18. The start date on the application? July 1, 2020.

The search committee asked that candidates have the following qualifications:

• Licensed or eligible for licensure as a superintendent in the state.
• Minimum of master’s degree; advanced degree preferred.
• At least 10 years in education, including five years of administrative and/or central office experience and five years teaching experience.

Previously:

• Search For Superintendent Of Waltham Schools Is On
• George Frost To Be Waltham Schools Interim Superintendent
• Waltham Superintendent Echelson Resigns, Takes Job At ...
• Waltham Seeks Superintendent Search Committee Members

Elections:

Marisa Diamond Is Running For School Committee- Candidate Profile

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).