My Goal in Blogging

I started this blog in May of 2008, shortly after my election to the School Committee, because I believed it was very important to both provide the community with an opportunity to share their thoughts with me about our schools and to provide me with an opportunity for me to ask questions and share my thoughts and reasoning. I have found the conversation generated on my blog to be extremely helpful to me in learning community views on many issues. I appreciate the many people who have taken the time to share their views. I believe it is critical to the quality of our public schools to have a public discussion of our community priorities, concerns and aspirations.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Superintendent Search Committee

Note: This announcement is now posted on the ARPS website (http://www.arps.org/node/2526), and I would strongly encourage applications for anyone interested in serving in this important way (and free on the 11th and 12th of January!). We have 5 open spaces (3 School Committee members and 2 teachers are already on the committee), and those will include at least one government official and two parents (one elementary, one regional) as well as representation from Leverett and Shutesbury. Please let me know if you have questions.

Apply to be a member of the Superintendent Search Committee

If you would like to submit your name to be considered as a member of the Superintendent Search Committee, please click here to send an email to: Rick Hood, Catherine Sanderson and Nora Maroulis before 11 pm, December 15, 2010.

Note that members of the search committee MUST be available for the following dates and times:

January 5 (time TBA, but will be at night, likely 6pm) - a 2 hour meeting with HYA to prep the search committee for the interviews

January 11
10:00am - 12:00pm - Interview #1
12:15pm - 2:15pm - Interview #2
2:30pm - 4:30pm - Interview #3

January 12
12:00pm - 2:00pm - Interview #4
2:15pm - 4:15pm - Interview #5
4:30pm - discussion and choice of 3 finalists
Night (time unspecified, probably 6pm) - presentation of the 3 finalists to the full school committee

NOTE: the times shown above could change so please plan on being available from 9am to 6pm on January 11 and 12.

In your email please include the following:

• Name
• Phone number
• Are you a parent, citizen, government official, school administrator or student?
• What school(s) do you have children in: none, ARHS, ARMS, Amherst Elementary, Pelham Elementary, Leverett Elementary or Shutesbury Elementary?
• What town do you reside in: Amherst, Pelham, Leverett or Shutesbury?
• Please state in a paragraph or two why you would make a good member of the search committee.

We will be choosing members of the committee by the end of December, most likely by the end of week ending December 18.

Thank you for your interest. If you have any questions please contact Rick Hood (hoodr@arps.org, 413-320-3611).

Rick Hood, Catherine Sanderson, Nora Maroulis
School Committee members of the Superintendent Search Committee

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

like most amherst committees...one cannot have a job...the meetings are during working hours which leaves many good parents, citizens who have jobs left out...leaves people in lower socio-economic groups who cannot take time off from work out!!!

Anonymous said...

why does Amherst have 2 school committee reps on the committee? Shouldn't one of the hilltowns have one of their members since that now really restricts who the remaining 5 can be? Catherine, could you explain the rational behind it?

Catherine A. Sanderson said...

Anonymous 8:55 - each of the three SCs voted for a representative: Amherst voted for me, Pelham voted for Nora, and the Region voted for Rick. The Region certainly could have voted for the Leverett or Shutesbury representative. Let's remember also that both Amherst and Pelham hire the superintendent for both elementary and regional work, whereas Leverett and Shutesbury hire the superintendent only for the regional work. That is why Amherst and Pelham combined have 8 people voting for the superintendent whereas Leverett and Shutesbury only have two.

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:55 said...

Thanks for the clarification, Catherine.