School Committee Approves Plan for Superintendent Search

Attleboro School Committee members Mike Tyler, David Murphy and Ken Parent made a presentation at the Monday meeting on a four-phase search process for the hiring of a district superintendent. The plan was approved by a 6-0 vote.

Superintendent Pia Durkin, who is in her seventh year at the helm, has publicly stated she expects to leave at the end of June. While supporters say she has raised academic achievement in the district, she also has dissenters who look to recent staff turnover and other problems they say exist. Durkin has also butted heads with some school committee members, especially with the two who were not there for the meeting, Brenda Furtado and Teri Enegren. In addition, Barbara Craw was at the meeting, but left before the presentation.

The search calls for the posting of a job advertisement in mid-December, interviews with finalists from mid-March to mid-April and the April 15 appointment of a superintendent who will begin work July 1. All the dates are tentative.

The process will include surveying district parents, use of questionnaires "geared toward specific constituencies" and the meeting of focus groups. Information obtained through these methods would be used toward creating a job description and advertisement.

More detailed information about the process can be found in the PowerPoint presentation that is attached to this article.   

Editor's Note: The original version of this story stated David Murphy made the presentation. Mike Tyler and Ken Parent also participated in the presentation. Also, it was stated that Barbara Craw was not at the meeting. She was at the meeting, but left prior to the presentation.