Rockport names 15 to school chief search panel

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January 20, 2012

Rockport names 15 to school chief search panel

By Stephanie Bergman Staff Writer The Gloucester Daily Times Fri Jan 20, 2012, 01:00 AM EST

ROCKPORT — The School Committee has named 15 members of a search committee designed to find the next superintendent, tapping teachers, administrators, parents, community members and students for the panel.

The committee includes Rockport Elementary and Middle and High School principals Shawn Maguire and Philip Conrad, respectively, who will be responsible for naming three students selected for the search committee.

Monty Hitschler, the district technology guru, and Pam Girouard are the other administration members on the committee, while teachers Nathan Cohen, Suzanne Geoffrey and Jodi Goodhue will also serve.

Pamela Brindamour, Elizabeth Martin, Tracy McLaughlin-Volpe, Lore Rostkowski and Theresa Scatterday are the community members on the committee. McLaughlin-Vope, Rostowski and Scatterday all have children attending Rockport schools, and Brindamour and Martin have had children in the system in the past.

The School Committee sifted through applications from 18 people who wanted to serve on the panel, not including students. Some were eliminated because they would not be able to make the time commitment necessary to serve on the committee, while others had served on several search committees before and were not chosen in favor of others in order to bring in new voices.

"I find it interesting that no one who applied to be the interim School Committee member applied to be on the search committee," said School Committee chairman Michael Kelley.

The search committee will begin meeting regularly in the next few weeks.

Twelve job applications from prospective superintendents have already been received, according to Ingrid Keating, executive assistant to the superintendent. Deadline for superintendent applications is Feb. 16.

The search committee is expected to narrow the candidates to three by mid-March, to give the School Committee enough time to interview and select a new superintendent.

The School Committee has been advertising for applications, but has been limited by the salary available for the new superintendent. According to School Committee member Melissa Tingley, the salary range the committee is working with, tentatively $110,000 to $140,000, is lower than what other towns looking for a superintendent have declared themselves willing to pay. Superintendent Susan King, who is leaving in June, earns a salary of $140,000.

The search committee will hold a public workshop to discuss what it will be looking for on Feb. 6 at the Middle and High School library at 7 p.m. All are encouraged to come with ideas and questions.

Stephanie Bergman can contacted at 978-283-7000 x3451 or sbergman@gloucestertimes.com