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Date: 12/27/2022
CHICOPEE – Members of the School Committee discussed the ongoing timeline for Chicopee’s superintendent search during their Dec. 19 meeting. The discussion topic was introduced by Ward 9 School Committee member Ronald Benard.
Background
Benard serves as a representative on the Superintendent Search Committee alongside Mayor John Vieau, School Committee Vice Chairperson Susan Szetela-Lopes, Ward 7 School Committee member Donald Lamothe and Ward 2 School Committee member David Barsalou.
The committee also includes Chicopee Education Association President Laura Demakis, Anna Barry School Principal Kate Lambert, ChicopeeFRESH Director Melanie Wilk, Salwa Karim, Kristin Trznadel, Robin Berube and Michelle Davis. Each were selected via a lottery process that occurred during the School Committee’s Aug. 17 meeting.
Over the course of several meetings, the Superintendent Search Committee is analyzing applicants with a goal of narrowing the field down to three to five candidates. The School Committee will then conduct interviews with the applicants before selecting the school district’s new leader. The search committee is working closely with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) through this process.
The Chicopee School Department continues to seek full-time leadership after former Superintendent Lynn Clark was arrested on April 6. Assistant Superintendent Alvin Morton was named acting superintendent in the wake of Clark’s arrest on April 22, with the School Committee approving a one-year contract on June 1 for Morton to be the interim superintendent for the 2022-23 school year.
The Superintendent Search Committee is expected to announce their finalized list of candidates in the near future.
Superintendent Search updates
Benard introduced the topic to discuss the planned timeline to undergo School Committee site visits for superintendent applicants. Vieau confirmed to Benard the site visits will take place at the end of January, 2023.
Lamothe shared that he talked with MASC Field Director Elizabeth Lafond about the process. She shared with him that field visits can be scheduled once the final list of candidates are publicly announced.
“We can visit the schools prior to interviewing the finalists once the finalists are announced. It’s a matter of when the School Committee wants to visit,” said Lamothe.
Benard advocated for an accelerated timeline for the site visits. He proposed for the School Committee to try and arrange meetings for the week after the holidays.
“I think you want to search the schools for the possibility for a new superintendent during times that are tough rather than times that are easy. All of us that have worked in the schools know that the week after holidays is tough, so that’s when we want to see [the applicants] in action,” said Benard.
Lamothe suggested that the School Committee arrange site visits between Jan. 10 and 19, 2023.
Vieau reiterated that the MASC will guide the Chicopee School Committee throughout this process. He was hesitant to define a timeline moving forward without MASC input.
“The person who is giving us guidance from [MASC] is not here, so I don’t feel comfortable picking dates,” said Vieau.
Ultimately, the School Committee opted for finalizing School Committee site visits for superintendent applicants during their Jan. 3, 2023, meeting.