Interim Superintendent Theresa McGuinness addressed several leadership changes within the district over the last month, and the School Committee laid out its search process for a permanent superintendent at its most recent meeting.
On New Year’s Day, McGuinness announced that both Director of Student Services Paula Donelly and Associate Director Emily Dean were resigning from their posts after repeated calls for their removal from the Marblehead Education Association stemming from a physical restraint of a student incident at Glover School, which led to four educators being placed on administrative leave.
Shortly afterward, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Michelle Cresta announced she would be resigning, effective in March, to accept a position at Manchester Essex Regional School District. Around the same time, McGuinness wrote to the School Committee that she would not pursue the permanent superintendent position after previously expressing interest during the interview process.
In addition, Assistant Marblehead High School Principal Matt Fox is filling in for Glover School Principal Hope Duran, who has been on medical leave since December. McGuinness said her leave remains undefined at this time.
Committee Chair Sarah Fox commended the district’s leadership over the last several months despite the recent changes and challenges.
“The last two months have been a lot, but I’ve really seen a team spirit,” Fox said, referring to district staff and administrators who have taken on additional responsibilities amid the changes. “I’m just so eternally grateful for the spirit of really doing what they can to help their colleagues and ultimately help our students.”
At the meeting, McGuinness said that the district will begin looking for an interim Director of Student Services “immediately.”
“Our HR manager is setting up the interview process, which will include a School Committee member, a parent on our SEPAC, among many other educators and administrators,” McGuinness said.
Both Donnelly and Dean have agreed to assist McGuinness throughout the transition process. McGuinness announced that she has also created a Student Services Committee, which will “focus on the transition 100%.”
The district will also be adding two new Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs). Catherine Woods will begin working out of the Brown School, and Emily Boutin will be placed at the Glover School. Previously, members of the MEA had called for more support in the district, as Kristen Phelps was the lone BCBA working for Marblehead Public Schools. Phelps will continue her work throughout the district.
McGuinness provided a statement on her decision to leave at the end of the school year.
“After considerable reflection, I have decided not to seek the permanent superintendent position at Marblehead Public Schools and am moving forward in a different direction to pursue alternative opportunities,” McGuinness said. “But as I have since Nov. 6, my start date, I will work diligently and strategically alongside our fine leadership team and the School Committee to perform the roles and responsibilities of the interim superintendent in the best interest of our students and staff.”
McGuinness added that she will also work with the district to provide a smooth transition to the next superintendent until she leaves on June 30.
Later in the meeting, Fox outlined the permanent superintendent hiring process.
The first step will be to implement a screening committee, which the School Committee will determine. From there, focus groups involving students, staff, administrators, parents, and the community will be run in the district.
The committee will then create the “ideal candidate profile” and post the position with an application deadline. The screening committee will develop questions for interviews, review applications, and rate candidates for initial interviews before determining finalists for the position.
Final candidate interviews will be held in an open meeting, followed by a day in the district with the candidates, and then deliberation, again in an open meeting, to vote on making an offer to the best candidate.