Recently, David Fleishman, the now-former superintendent, announced that he is departing Newton Public Schools, leaving his position open. This article will outline the process of searching for a new superintendent and who the members of the search committee are.
The search for the superintendent officially started on October 18. In late November, the School Committee and the Search Committee (who find the candidates) will be meeting, and surveys will be sent to NPS families. In the second half of the school year, position details will be posted, and candidates will be narrowed down. On July 1, students will know who the new superintendent will be.
So, who is in charge of this process?
To start, 122 total applicants applied for a position on the Search Committee. While most were parents or guardians of current Newton students, 13 were students from both Newton North and Newton South. Applicants were not required to hold any background or formerly-held position related to the job. The committee was narrowed down to 17 finalists. While the School Committee decided on the applicants, only two members are on both the School and the Search committees. The majority of the members are school employees, including principals, teachers, and administrators. Parents and unassociated community members are also part of the committee. One known high school student is participating.
Overall, a wide variety of people are involved in the process, so the Newton community can hope that they will find a well-qualified candidate who will be beneficial for our schools. Being a superintendent is undeniably an important role. While many students may think that the superintendent is simply a professional snow-day-caller, they are actually in charge of many matters, including staff hiring and budgets. Their ideas and influence will sculpt the student experience from the elementary to high school levels. Luckily, the committee is qualified and ready to take on this difficult task.
