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Date: 8/27/2019
CHICOPEE – In a special meeting on Aug. 21, the Chicopee School Committee voted to hire a new superintendent.
The meeting was held one week after the committee officially accepted the retirement of current Chicopee schools superintendent, Richard Rege Jr., who will step down from his position at the end of January.
The purpose of the Aug. 21 meeting was to interview and potentially vote to hire current Assistant Superintendent for Instruction and Accountability, Lynn Clark, as the next superintendent
Both during the Aug. 14 school committee meeting and throughout the Aug. 21 meeting, many committee members and Chicopee school faculty had voiced their support for Clark as the next superintendent.
John Endelos, principal of Barry School, and William Holt, principal of Lambert-Lavoie Elementary, and Elizabeth Massey, both publicity commented on their support for Clark before the meeting officially began.
“Mr. Rege refers to us as a family. And we are a family, Chicopee Public School family, with that being said Miss Clark is part of that family. Miss Clark has forged relationships with principals, staff members, students’ families, and within the community,” said Holt. “She is an ultimate supporter, unwavering support, and in addition to that she reaches out and really touches you personally. Why go out and exhaust time and resources when we have a Chicopee family member right here who’s ready to take the reins and run with it?”
Throughout the hour and a half meeting, committee members and Mayor Richard Kos questioned Clark on various topics including her vision for the future of the district, expanding vocational opportunities, budgeting, redistricting, and her motivation for applying for the position.
While all committee members seemed to be in support of Clark to fill Rege’s position, both Kos and Committee Member Susan Lopes, abstained from voting in favor or against Clark’s hiring.
Kos said, “I just have an issue with the process today, and I’m uncomfortable voting tonight … I’m looking for this position to be posted and it’s in house, it doesn’t have to be, but best practice is that it would be have it posted, so it doesn’t seem to be something we’re just railroading and getting it done.”
Lopes, Ward 6 representative, expressed similar concerns. “I have an issue with the process that’s taking place this evening. I need to make it clear that I was never part of the understanding that we were going to be voting on this this evening,” she said. “I don’t want to be a part of it. I want to wait a few weeks and go through the process in a less rushed manner.”
However, despite their concerns, Clark’s hiring was approved with nine votes in favor of it.
Clark, who was born and raised in the city, began her career in the Chicopee School District as a substitute teacher in 1992. She told Reminder Publishing, “It feels like home, it feels natural,” to be elected as the superintendent in her hometown.
“It’s an honor, I’m honored and humbled as well as excited to be given the opportunity to lead the district,” she said.
Clark said, “I would like to say thank you to all the educators and family that have supported me along the way. I was fortunate enough to be supported to go the extra mile, willing to pitch in, willing to do anything for the betterment of the students.”
She also said, “I am extremely thankful for the people that came out that evening. Some were staff that were retired, some were teachers that went on to be administrators, some were families. It was simply amazing to see all the support.”