Bristol-Plymouth teachers sound alarm over superintendent search. Here's why

TAUNTON — The B-P School Committee was inundated by a massive letter writing campaign organized by teachers demanding more transparency and inclusivity in the process to select a new superintendent, according to a written statement from the B-P teachers union.

At a Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School Committee meeting in December, Superintendent Alexandre Magalhaes announced he will be retiring at the end of calendar year 2024.

This news came as a surprise to both the School Committee and teachers, said Tasha Cordero, president of the Bristol Plymouth Teachers Association (BPTA).

Magalhaes couldn’t be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

What’s even more surprising, said Cordero, was the start, this past Feb. 12, of the search for a new superintendent, through job postings for the position, an act, she said, that seemed sudden and rushed.

“Stakeholders across our sending districts need transparency regarding the timeline and process of the Superintendent-Director search. The individual we select to lead our schools wields profound influence over every aspect of the learning environment,” said Cordero in the written statement.

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What does job posting say?

The job posting on BP’s website says: “It is expected that this individual will be appointed to the position of Superintendent-Director Elect and will begin in this capacity as soon as possible in order to facilitate a seamless transition. The Superintendent-Director Elect will be expected to assume the position of Superintendent-Director on or before January 31, 2025.”

How many protest letters have been sent?

The letter writing campaign is occurring through Action Network, an online petition platform. As of Friday, 864 emailed letters from the educator community supporting B-P have been sent to members of the School Committee, according to BPTA’s written statement.

Cordero told the Gazette Friday the School Committee has not included stakeholders, such as the teachers union, in providing input over what the school should look for in a new superintendent.

She continued that, presently, the School Committee is deciding to exercise sole authority over the search and candidacy process.

“The School Committee does have a thorough process. I don’t doubt that. But no one knows our best interests because they won’t talk with us on it,” said Lisa Roe, vice president of the BPTA.

Both Roe and Cordero said key organizations like the Massachusetts Association of School Committees recommend measures inclusion of the community, like forming a hiring committee consisting of members from across the spectrum, including the School Committee, the teachers association, the administration and others.

“The BPTA insists that the search process must be inclusive, drawing from the diverse perspectives of community members and educators alike,” the written statement said.

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What else does the teachers union want?

Other steps the BPTA are requesting include:

• Involvement in the screening of applicants

• Being able to ask questions to the candidates

• A more transparent timeline regarding the selection and interview process

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Response from the School Committee

Bristol Plymouth School Committee Chair, Louis Borges, Jr., couldn’t be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

Taunton City Councilor and Taunton Representative on the B-P School Committee, Estele Borges, countered the accusations made by the BPTA.

“Anyone who knows me, knows everything to me is about transparency and process, and I’m not treating this any differently,” she said.

Borges said the superintendent position has been posted and advertised in all the necessary outlets.

Regarding how the candidacy process will be done, she said “that hasn’t been determined as of yet,” explaining there haven’t been any interviews conducted.

“We’re not even there yet,” as all that’s been done so far is advertise the position and collect resumes, she said.

The deadline to apply for the position is Tuesday, March 26.

Regarding the forming of a hiring committee, she emphasized no decisions have been made yet regarding the composition of that group.

She said she couldn’t speak for other school committee members, but she personally has fielded numerous phone calls and emails from concerned members of the B-P community regarding the search and selection process for a new superintendent.

Borges said the school committee said at the March 6 meeting that all interviews for finalists will be conducted in open session for the public to attend.

“It’s absolutely false to say there’s been a lack of transparency,” Borges said.

The next Bristol Plymouth School Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 3.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Bristol-Plymouth teachers union pushes back on superintendent search