Wayland's New (Acting) Superintendent Likely Coming From Weston

WAYLAND, MA — The Wayland School Committee will soon pick an acting superintendent to replace the acting superintendent, and the new district leader will likely come from the next town over.

After putting Superintendent Omar Easy on leave in February, the Wayland School Committee elevated Assistant Superintendent Parry Graham to become the district's acting superintendent. But Graham has accepted as job to become the superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools, and will leave Wayland by the end of June.

The school committee will meet April 11 to talk about who's going to take over once Graham leaves. The meeting was originally scheduled for April 5, but it was canceled.

"Discussion regarding appointment of acting superintendent including process, interviewing of candidates and next steps," is the sole item listed on the agenda.

Wednesday's meeting comes one week after the committee all but hired Graham's replacement. At the March 29 meeting, Chair Chris Ryan said outgoing Weston Superintendent Midge Connolly reached out to him to express interest in becoming Wayland's acting superintendent.

"I have to say that Connolly's presence was immediately calming. She had kind of a soothing nature to her approach to our whole discussion — something that really resonated with me as something we need in our district," member Erin Gibbons said of a private meeting she had with Connolly prior to March 29.

Member Jessica Polizzotti questioned the speed of hiring Connolly without more of a community process, and without factoring in the hire to the next fiscal year budget. Connolly had only met with Gibbons and Ryan in private ahead of the March 29 meeting.

"We're not vetting anybody else. I really feel like the community should have input. We do need healing and I want community buy-in," she said. "I really think, at minimum, we need a full committee interview."

Ryan argued that the hiring of an acting superintendent didn't need the same level of public process as hiring a full-time superintendent.

"This is acting superintendent, it's different," he said.

Member Jeanne Downs — who, along with Ryan, is not running for reelection this spring — said the committee should talk to the candidate before making a decision.

"It would be good to meet the person who is being considered," she said.

The committee ultimately voted to enter into negotiations with Connolly, but also requiring Connolly meet with all members of the committee and provide references.

Graham is one of several key leaders set to exit — or potentially exit — Wayland Public Schools.

Wayland Middle School principal Betsy Gavron is taking a one-year sabbatical over the 2023-24 school year, and Happy Hollow principal Tricia O’Reilly resigned in February to take a job in another district. Finance Director Tom Lafleur announced he would leave at the end of the 2022-23 school year.

Also on March 29, the committee voted to enter into contract negotiations to hire Susan Bottan as the district's new director of finance and operations. Bottan works for Reading Public Schools, but previously held the role in Wayland. Two other candidates applied for the role.

Wayland High School Principal Allyson Mizoguchi is a finalist to take over as superintendent of Lincoln-Sudbury High School. The Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee is set to vote to make a final selection on Wednesday.