Waltham Teachers Union Criticizes High School Principal Search

WALTHAM, MA — News that the outgoing superintendent of public schools isn't satisfied with the finalists for principal at Waltham High School and wants to wait another year before hiring a new one isn't going over well with some in the school community.

If you watched the School Committee meeting Wednesday night, you saw groups, including the Waltham Educators Association making their dissatisfaction known.

Last month, Superintendent Drew Echelson, who is leaving at the end of the school year, announced he would not choose a new principal after a search this year did not deliver candidates he felt were up to the task of leading the high school.

"[N]one of the three candidates were ready, at this specific moment in time, to lead through the complex work ahead," said Echelson. He said his replacement will have to make the decision -to choose among the three candidates or new ones that pop up.

In response, more than 70 teachers, parents, students and community members, many wearing red shirts, showed up at the February 6 School Committee meeting to have their say.

Mike Diluzio spoke about deteriorating morale at the high school, and called the principal selection process "poorly conducted," reading from a statement from Nate Rono, co-president of the association.

Members of the Waltham Educators Association said they surveyed educators to learn what they want in a new leader. The 114 responses were overwhelmingly negative, they said: teachers feel a sense of unease and anxiety and believe they are disrespected and undervalued. According to the WEA, only two of the responses support the current administration.

The association said respondents complained that no parent, teacher or student focus groups were asked to set priorities before the 18-month search began and that no bios of finalists were released, as is standard practice.

Read the rest of the statement here:

The Waltham Educators Association is a teachers union that serves about 700 teachers and 100 paraprofessionals in Waltham.

RELATED:

• No New Principal For High School, Yet: Waltham Superintendent
• Waltham Superintendent Drew Echelson To Resign
• Echelson Announces Resignation Is To Take Job
• Waltham Superintendent Announces High School Principal Search Team
• New Waltham High School Principal Finalists To Be Announced Soon
• Waltham High School Principal To Retire
• Waltham High School's Cutting Edge Changemaker Academy

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Photo by Jenna Fisher / Patch. Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@Patch.com or on Twitter @ReporterJenna