By Jonathan L'Ecuyer
The search to replace outgoing Superintendent Christopher Farmer will officially begin tomorrow, when the School Committee meets for the first time to discuss the search process.
The School Committee will begin to lay the groundwork necessary to replace Farmer at tomorrow's meeting, set for 7 p.m. in City Hall — and slated to follow a public hearing on the schools' proposed budget for fiscal 2011, which begins July 1.
That will also mark Farmer's first day on his new job; he landed the superintendent's post as head of the Byfield-based Triton Regional School District late Friday night, and has accepted the post. Farmer and Triton school officials are expected to finalize his new contract today.
Yesterday, School Committee Chairwoman Valerie Gilman released a statement in which she lauded his accomplishments over the last seven years.
"The superintendent has worked tirelessly to stabilize our school district in spite of local aid cuts and Chapter 70 funding inequities," Gilman said. "His work ethic and dedication to our school district has been second to none."
Gilman said the School Committee will defer a lot of the initial work to the respective subcommittees, which will then recommend to the full School Committee a preferred search process — including which agency to use, and what to advertise as the position's salary range.
"The School Committee hasn't had a chance to discuss this publicly at all yet," added committee member Melissa Teixeira, who chairs the board's personnel committee that will likely take the first search steps.
"We want to talk about all of this publicly, we want to bring people in from the outside, we want to get the community involved," she said.
"There are a lot of things we have to look at," she added, noting that the first step tomorrow night will like be for the committee to accept Farmer's resignation.
Gilman said she "would not be opposed to an interim superintendent if it allows the School Committee to take the time needed to recruit and select the best possible candidate."
Outgoing Triton Superintendent Sandra Halloran's salary had been pegged at $151,380, while Farmer's pay in Gloucester is $145,000 — the highest salary paid to any city employee.
Mayor Carolyn Kirk, who also sits as a member of the School Committee, said yesterday she first learned of Farmer's new job from the gloucestertimes.com Web site. She added, however, that she wished him luck in his new position.
While noting there are "certainly areas that can be built upon" under the direction of the next superintendent, Kirk said it would be a shame to lose any of the progress Farmer made during his seven-year tenure in Gloucester.
"I wouldn't want to lose any of the ground that's been gained under Farmer's leadership," Kirk said.
Gilman said she is committed to finding candidates with the skills necessary to improve the district's math and literacy scores.
Gilman praised Farmer as a tremendous advocate for Gloucester's public school children and built a strong leadership team of dedicated professionals and staff.
"During this transition period, and until such time that the committee hires a new superintendent, it is reassuring to know that the Gloucester Public School district has an experienced and capable team of principals, administrators, and teachers who will continue to deliver and upgrade our district's teaching and learning initiatives as outlined in their respective FY2011 school improvement plans," Gilman said.
"In the meantime," she said, "I have complete confidence that Superintendent Farmer will continue to give 100 percent to our district during his final 90 days of employment."
Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at 978-283-7000 x 3451 or jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
