Welcome to the Arlington Superintendent Search home page.

In June of 2019, Arlington Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Bodie announced her intention to retire at the end of the 2020-21 school year. The School Committee has been actively engaged in hiring the next Superintendent for the past year.


A Search Process Subcommittee was formed. and
the School Committee engaged the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) to assist with the search for a new superintendent. The Search Process Subcommittee worked with MASC to conduct focus group interviews during the spring and summer of 2020. In September, MASC collected 20 applications from candidates for the position of Superintendent of Schools.


On September 24, the School Committee appointed a Search Screening Committee, consisting of fifteen members and two alternates. The committee was formed to provide diverse viewpoints, and included teachers, administrators, parents, and members of the community. The full list of members of the Search Screening Committee is posted below.


On November 4, the
Search Screening Committee unanimously recommended two candidates to move forward as finalists. The candidates were unanimously accepted by the full committee. An integral part of the hiring process is to solicit feedback on both candidates from the community. Parents and caregivers will have a chance to meet candidates and provide feedback to the School Committee via a feedback form.


Dr.
              Victoria Greer
Dr. Victoria Greer
Dr. Victoria Greer
Superintendent, Sharon Public Schools

Dr. Victoria Greer brings a background in special education, curriculum and instruction to her roles in a progressively more responsible path to the superintendency.  She arrived in Massachusetts after a lengthy career as a teacher, coordinator and director of instruction for the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, following which she was recruited to serve as Assistant Superintendent in Cambridge.  There she was recognized for her achievements in strengthening parent and family engagement, improving the integration of students in special education, expanding minority student opportunities in advanced placement coursework, and expanded summer learning.  Strongly encouraged to pursue the superintendency by Cambridge Superintendent Jeff Young, she was hired as the leader of the Sharon Public Schools in 2017 where she remained until this year.   In Sharon, she worked successfully with the town manager, finance committee, and parents.  Her work earned the strong support of Karla Baehr, former Deputy Commissioner of the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Department, and the two school committee chairs with whom she collaborated in Sharon during most of her work.   Dr. Greer earned her undergraduate and graduate credentials at Tennessee State University and a doctorate from Capella University.  She currently resides in Cambridge.

  • Community Meeting with Dr. Victoria Greer, Wednesday, November 18, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
  • School Committee interview with Dr Victoria Greer.(ACMi.tv), Thursday, November 19, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
  • Feedback form.
  • Read Dr. Greer's application
  • Read a letter of support from the Sharon Racial Equity Alliance.
Dr.
              Elizabeth Homan
Dr. Elizabeth Homan
Dr. Elizabeth Homan
Assistant Superintendent, Waltham Public Schools

Dr. Elizabeth Homan is now in her third year as Assistant Superintendent of the Waltham Public Schools having been the Administrator for EdTech Integration for three years prior to 2018.  An Illinois native, she began her career as a middle and high school English Language Arts teacher and High School Speech Team Coach in Indiana before moving to the University of Michigan for a Ph.D. in English and Education.  Her first post in Massachusetts was as a digital learning specialist in the Boston Public Schools.  She was recruited to Waltham by former superintendent Drew Echelson and now oversees curriculum and instruction for the school district. She has focused on designing and leading professional learning, data informed leadership, anti-racist strategies, and collaboration with parents and teachers. She designed the equity, racial and cultural bias, and culturally responsive curriculum for the district.  Among her primary achievements was the work to align curriculum and establish professional development to narrow the achievement gap through collaboration and improve outcomes for all students.  She was actively involved in leading the district efforts to address COVID and to incorporate student wellness and academic progress during this challenging time.  She currently resides in Newton.

  • Community Meeting with Dr. Elizabeth Homan, Tuesday, November 17, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
  • School Committee interview with Dr. Elizabeth Homan (ACMi.tv), Friday, November 20, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
  • Feedback form.
  • Read Dr. Homan's application

The search process


The Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), on behalf of the Arlington School Committee, conducted a series of focus groups to prepare for our search for a new superintendent. Focus groups began in June, and continued through early August.

MASC facilitated 16 community meetings that included administrators, teachers and staff, members of the community at-large, recent alumni, parents of English Language Learners, members of the special education parent advisory council and parents with interest in children with special needs, and civic leaders from the town meeting and the finance and capital planning committees.  More than 220 people participated in live interviews while more than 1,000 people took the on-line survey.


This timeline will be revised as specific dates are set.
The goal of the school committee is to select a superintendent before the end of the calendar year. The Arlington School Committee has partnered with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) to establish this timeline in the early months of the school year in order to have the deepest possible candidate pool.
  • June 8 - August 3: Collect stakeholder feedback through a series of focus groups and an online survey. The questions revolve around perceived strengths of the school system, opportunities for improvement, and desired characteristics for a new superintendent.
  • August: Report on the results of the survey and focus groups.  Use the results to develop selection criteria and recruiting materials. Recruiting materials for other districts can be found on the MASC website.
  • September 4: MASC advertises the position and collect applications.  Deadline for applications: October 9.
  • September 24: Establish a first-round screening committee. The committee will screen applications and conduct first round interviews of selected candidates.
  • October 15: Screening committee selected 9 candidates for first-round interviews. Interviews have been scheduled for five nights in October. The screening committee will deliberate and choose finalists on November 2.
    (These meetings are held in executive session under the provisions of the Open Meeting Law.)

  • November 4: Screening committee presents names of finalists to the full school committee. Names are made public.
  • November 17: Community & stakeholder meeting with Dr. Elizabeth Homan (Zoom), 7:00-8:30 p.m.
  • November 18: Community & stakeholder meeting with Dr. Victoria Greer (Zoom), 7:00-8:30 p.m.
  • November 19: School Committee interviews Dr. Victoria Greer (Zoom), 6:30-8:30 p.m.
  • November 20: School Committee interviews Dr. Elizabeth Homan (Zoom), 6:30-8:30 p.m.
  • Late November - Early December: School Committee chooses a superintendent, negotiates and signs a contract.
  • July 1, 2021: New superintendent begins work in Arlington.

For additional information, contact:
Glenn Koocher, Executive Director, Massachusetts Association of School Committees
gkoocher@masc.org • office 617-523-8454
• cell 617-733-0497


Kathleen Kelly, Field Director, Massachusetts Association of School Committees
kkelly@masc.org • office 617-523-8454
• cell 617-899-2064


Paul Schlichtman, Chair, Superintendent Search Process Subcommittee
pschlichtman@arlington.k12.ma.us
• cell 617-755-4300

The screening committee


The Arlington School Committee approved a 15 member Superintendent Search Screening Committee, to conduct the first round of candidate screening for the next Superintendent of Schools.


The 15 members were nominated at the September 21 meeting of the Superintendent Search Process Committee. Based on a previous school committee vote, the subcommittee made nominations in seven categories. Paul Schlichtman, subcommittee chair, said the district received 38 statements of interest from people who volunteered to serve on the screening committee.

 

“The volunteers were all extremely well qualified, and narrowing the list was difficult,” Mr. Schlichtman reported. “Subcommittee members Kirsi Allison-Ampe, Len Kardon, and I worked to select members who have very different life experiences. We wanted people who would look at superintendent candidates through different lenses. We also made a commitment to the community that we would include members from underrepresented constituencies.

 

Of the 15 members of the committee, two identified as African-American and three identified as Asian-American. Members have identified in their statements of interest as LGBTQ+, immigrants, parents of special needs children, and second language learners.

 

The subcommittee nominated, and the school committee approved, the following appointments to the Superintendent Search Screening Committee:

 

Municipal Official (1)

Joseph A. Curro, Jr. (Select Board)

 

School Committee Members (3)

Kirsi Allison-Ampe

Len Kardon

Paul Schlichtman

 

Central Office Administrator (1)

Alison Elmer (Special Education Director)


Teachers (representing elementary/secondary) (2)
John Macuk (Science Teacher, Arlington High)

Kim Pratt (Grade 1 Teacher, Stratton Elementary)


Principals, Assistant Principals (Includes AAA members) (representing different levels) (2)

Mark McAneny (Bishop Principal)
Margaret Credle-Thomas (METCO Director)


Parents (representing elementary/secondary, including one SPED parent) (3)
Inae Hwang (Chair, Arlington Special Education Parent Advisory Council; Gibbs Parent)

Junlei Li (High School Parent)

Ramona Nichols Granucci (Peirce Parent)


Other Stakeholders, preferably including a student. This is an open category, and may include additional teachers, parents, or members of the community who would add value to the committee. (3)
Karin Moellering (Bishop Parent)

Komal Bhasin (Dallin Parent, DESE Senior Associate Commissioner)

Maia Patel Masini (Student)

 

The School Committee also approved the selection of two alternates, to be elevated to full membership in the event of a vacancy developing during the process. The alternates will be expected to attend meetings, but will not have a vote unless they are elevated:
Bea Croteau (Student)

Sindhumathi Revuluri (Hardy Parent)



フォーカスグループへのご招 待


MASC
マサチューセッツ育委員連合)では、アーリントンの次期教 育長(スーパーインテンダント)を選ぶにあたり、アーリントンの人々がどのような方向性を望んでいるのか を知るために、いくつかのヴァーチャルフォーカスグループとのセッションを行います。

 

教育長はアー リントンの公立学校システムの全ての運営を行う最高執行責任者です。現在、20216月に退職予定のボディー教育長の後任を選ぶためのプロセスが始まっています。

 

アーリントンでは日本人及び日本語話者の 保護者の方が多数おられますので、我々は日本語でのフォーカスグループを開催し、公立学校をより良くしていくため に、皆様からのご意見、ご感想をいただきたいと思っております。

 

英語での全保護者を対象とするフォーカスグループは三回行われま す。623日火曜日の午前9時、午後4時、そして午後7時です。

 

それとは別に、日本語話者の保護者を対象とするフォーカスグループは624日水曜日の午後7時に行われます。

 

また、今後MASCは三週間にわたり、さらにフォーカスグ ループを追加していく予定です。特別支援教育を受けている生徒さんの保護 者会の方達、生徒の多様性を支持する保護者及び市民の方々、またタウンミーティングメンバーや他の市民の方々などが 対象となる予定です。


フォーカスグループはZoomを使用します。参加するため のリンクはこちらのウェブサイトにてご確認くださ い。 http://arlingtonsuper.com/


Zoom Focus Groups
Read the Focus Group Summary Report here.

Community focus groups were held:


Focus Groups for Arlington Parents:
Tuesday, June 23 at 9:00 a.m.


Focus Group for Arlington Parents:
Tuesday, June 23 at 4:00 p.m.


Focus Group for Arlington Parents:
Tuesday, June 23 at 7:00 p.m

Japanese Language Focus Group
Wednesday, June 24 at 7:00 p.m.

Focus Group for Arlington School Committee:
Thursday, July 16 at 5:30 p.m

Focus Group for Arlington Residents:
Monday, July 20 at 10:00 a.m.

Focus Group for Recent AHS Alumni:
Monday, July 20 at 7:00 p.m.

Focus Group for Arlington Residents:
Wednesday, July 22 at 4
:00 p.m.

Focus Group for Arlington Town Meeting Members:
Wednesday, July 22 at 8
:00 p.m.

Focus Group - Diversity & Inclusion:
Tuesday, July 28 at 2
:00 p.m.

Focus Group - Finance and Capital Planning Committees
Thursday, July 30 at 5
:30 p.m.


Focus Group for Arlington Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC):
Sunday, August 2 at 7:00 p.m.

Focus Group for Arlington Residents:
Monday, August 3
at 7:00 p.m.

日本 語話者の保護者を対象とするフォーカスグループ
624水曜日午後7

In addition, three focus groups were held with APS staff.