Schools

PTO Member Questions Principal Hiring Process

The Attleboro school district is appointing interim principals without conducting a formal search process.

Two Attleboro school leadership positions have been vacated and the district's superintendent has appointed new people to those positions on an interim basis. Some in the community believe the process in which Superintendent Pia Durkin has filled the positions is unfair to both those who are in transition to fill the position in the interim and those who have not yet had an opportunity to apply. 

News of Hill-Roberts Elementary School Principal Matthew Joseph and Wamsutta Vice Principal Lisa Chen leaving Attleboro for other jobs came as a surprise to some. Others wonder why the positions to fill their jobs, even on an interim basis, was not posted online, at Central Office or in the local newspaper. 

Superintendent Pia Durkin filled both Joseph's and Chen's positions for the interim with people who currently work in the district. 

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At a recent school committee meeting, Durkin said the jobs of those serving the interim positions would be backfilled. 

This is a problem, according to Kendelle Aronson, a member of the Hill-Roberts Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).

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"It seems as though interim appointments are intended to be permanent, because if they don't stay in those positions permanently, they will not have a job to go back to because it will be backfilled already," she said. 

By filling the two positions with people in the interim, Durkin is not breaking any policy. If, however, she does not post the positions at the end of the interim period, she will be in violation of the district's policy, which states: "Prior to positions being filled, vacancies will be posted with sufficient time to permit potential candidates an opportunity to submit an application. All postings will be available online, at individual schools and at central office."

As of Monday, June 6, there were no postings for the positions under "Employment Opportunities" on the Attleboro School Districts's website and it is likely that Joseph's position will not be posted until January, when the interim status of his temporary replacement, Sue Nascimento, ends. 

Nascimento has worked in the district the past 12 years and has been working with Joseph, who was hired to be a principal in Natick, in a transition period since he announced his departure in May. Chen is leaving to work as

Chen's position has been temporarily filled by someone who was appointed by Durkin Friday, June 3, sources said. Superintendent Durkin would not answer multiple requests for information regarding Chen's replacement, the postings of permanent jobs or any other questions regarding the positions. She said she would announce another "appointment" during Wednesday's Attleboro School Committee meeting.

While Aronson said she understands it is Durkin's job to hire the most qualified individual, she wishes others had a voice in the process.

"I’m a little disappointed that appointments were made without the school community's involvement," Aronson said. "I would have liked someone to have had the voice, but her job is ultimately to put people in place that are qualified to provide our teachers with the support they need. "

While it is up to Durkin to hire principals, the idea of a screening committee is also recommend when hiring principals, according to policy rooted in Massachusetts General Laws. 

There have been several departures in recent months and an attempt by Durkin herself to leave her position in Attleboro. Durkin applied for a superintendent position in Lowell. While she was selected as a finalist, she was not offered the position.

The number of quality teachers, principals and vice principals leaving the district is very telling, according to Aronson.

"I as a parent have concern that there are so many of our leaders leaving," she said. "I worry about where we are and why so many of these individuals have chosen to move on in such a short period of time. And that leads me to a question of the leadership."

"If this were a corporation and we view Dr. Durkin as a CEO and the principals in all of the schools as regional managers, with this number of people in leadership roles departing it would be a real cause for concern for the board of directors."

Aronson said she suspects politics is the problem.

"It's every man for himself," she said. "There really is an undercurrent and we really need to find out what it is."


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