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Date: 10/18/2022
NORTHAMPTON – In a unanimous decision, the Northampton School Committee voted to select the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) as the firm responsible for assisting the committee on finding a permanent superintendent for the next school year.
At-large member Aline LaBorwit-Davis, Ward 2 member Holly Ghazey, and Ward 6 member Margaret Miller were tasked with researching three national search firms under the Ad Hoc Superintendent Search Firm Committee, while also receiving a proposal from MASC.
In a meeting on Oct. 13, Ghazey said that Glen Koocher, the executive director of MASC, addressed many of the concerns the School Committee had about the overall process and if finding candidates out-of-state is a viable option. “[Koocher] said he is finding it difficult to coax candidates from out-of-state because of the regulatory climate, the open meeting law,” said Ghazey, adding that the low salaries in Massachusetts compared to other places is another reason why there is trouble bringing candidates from other states in.
Aside from MASC, the subcommittee also examined three national firms, which included Hazard Young Attea (HYA, Omaha’s McPherson & Jacobson, and Iowa’s Ray & Associates.
“We really did not find that any of the national search companies provided us with anything more than what the MASC proposal would offer us at much, much lower rate,” said Miller. “I really felt strongly that the MASC proposal offered as extensive a search as the others.”
Davis added that one of the national firms she reached out to said they would match the price MASC offers but emphasized that this did not make the national firm better.
Currently, Jannell Pearson-Campbell is the acting superintendent of the Northampton school district after Howard Eberwein III declined the committee’s initial offer to elect him as the interim. She began her journey in education 22 years ago and has worked as a classroom teacher, principal and assistant director of education. She told the committee during her interview for the position that she has a technical background to move the district forward and stated that her skill set involves working with students on literacy and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Her current term is for up to one year, unless the committee decides to extend that timeline.
As the committee continues their search for candidates, Pearson-Campbell can decide in the future if she would like to apply.
The committee also voted to try a hybrid format for the next School Committee meeting at the beginning of November and December. The committee will then vote on whether or not they will continue that format for the future during the December meeting. School Committee meetings are typically conducted in the JFK Middle School Community Room.