Date: 7/19/2022
NORTHAMPTON – During a meeting on July 14, the Northampton School Committee officially executed a contract with Jannell Pearson-Campbell that will officially make her the interim superintendent of Northampton Public Schools starting July 19.
During a special School Committee meeting on July 12, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra informed the public that Howard Eberwein III, the original selection for the interim position, declined the offer to become the interim superintendent for Northampton Public Schools.
After meeting with him on July 8 and 11, Sciarra said that Eberwein changed his mind and declined the offer after stating that he needs to finish his work with the Berkshire County Regional School District Planning Board.
His decision comes after the School Committee voted 9-1 during their July 7 meeting for Eberwein to replace former Superintendent John Provost for up to one year while the committee conducts a permanent superintendent search.
The committee then decided to unanimously offer the position to Pearson-Campbell, a former assistant superintendent of teaching and learning at the Old Rochester Regional School District in Plymouth County. The other finalist for the position was Marlene DiLeo, who has worked as a superintendent in Ware for eight years.
Ward 7 member Kaia Goleman was originally the sole committee member to vote for Pearson-Campbell after the initial meeting was conducted on July 7. “I really believe that [Pearson-Campbell] was the candidate who had the very best fit for us,” Goleman stated during the July 12 meeting. “Her organizational awareness and the way that she aligned with our district goals at this point, as well as her real commitment to focusing on the welfare of students and healing, I think is really critical.”
The organization REAL (Racial Equity and Learning) Northampton opposed the initial decision to select Eberwein as the interim and pushed the committee to realize the implications of not initially selecting Pearson-Campbell, who described herself as a “third generation Black American educator.”
“After watching the recording of the School Committee meeting, I am struggling to find appropriate words regarding your decision to not hire Dr. Pearson-Campbell as interim superintendent,” Leigh-Ellen Figueroa, a member of the REAL Northampton coordinating team, said in an email to the committee on July 12 after their initial decision. “While any of the candidates would have been an acceptable choice, you missed a huge opportunity to make a choice that would have felt instantly healing, hopeful and validating for many families of color in this town – including myself and my family – and instead you opted to maintain the status quo of who gets access and leadership.”
Among the problems REAL Northampton had with the initial selection was the idea that Pearson-Campbell’s second interview was not as strong, according to multiple School Committee members yet the committee thought she would be best as a permanent selection, rather than an interim one.
“BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) in Northampton need more than woke white posturing,” continued the email. “It is known among people of color in this town that the majority of white folks imagining that they are ‘good white people’ are not going to genuinely listen and do the difficult personal work to heal racism because the majority of white people are not willing to be uncomfortable.”
Members of REAL Northampton include teachers, staff, students sixth grade and older, caregivers and community supporters.
As a result of these statements, as well as other thoughts from the public, Ward 3 member Emily Serafy-Cox stated that the entire School Committee should consider more anti-bias and anti-racist training to interrupt any inkling of white supremacy in decision-making.
“Democracy is about relationships built on respect,” said Serafy-Cox. “If we as a democratically-elected body don’t interrogate and interrupt our actions and attitudes that come from the white supremacy ingrained in each of us, we are hurting our own democratic process.”
Immediately following the committee’s decision to allow the mayor to enter negotiations with Pearson-Campbell, REAL Northampton appeared happy with the committee’s decision to offer the position to Pearson-Campbell and said they are “crossing their fingers” that she accepts the position.
During her interview, Pearson-Campbell – who began her journey in education 22 years ago and has worked as a classroom teacher, principal, and assistant director of education – told the committee that she is someone who listens and has the technical background to move the district forward. She said her skill set involves a focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as literacy to help students become better prepared for college.
Pearson-Campbell said it is most important for the district to attract candidates who want to work in their school system, while also making sure that the school buildings are ready for the first day in September.
She also stressed the importance of caring about people by telling a personal anecdote at the end of her interview. “In 2020, I lost my father, and one of the things I learned was just taking care of people,” Pearson-Campbell said. “Take care of people first, and education will come … As you hear in my voice, I try to talk soothing because we don’t know what people have lost during the [coronavirus] pandemic. It could be a family member, it could be a job, it could be a tradition.”
The committee also voted during their July 14 regular meeting to form an ad hoc committee to assist in the process of hiring an outside firm for the purpose of finding a permanent superintendent. The committee is tasked with asking other districts who have gone through a superintendent search about their prior experience with national firms. The committee hopes to have the necessary information by the next full School Committee meeting in August. Reminder Publishing will have more updates on the matter in the next edition.