Worcester Public Schools superintendent finalists set to be revealed at School Committee meeting Tuesday
WORCESTER — Calling the list of candidates "wonderful" and the process "exciting," the chairperson of an Ad Hoc Search Committee tasked with finding a new Worcester Public Schools superintendent said the position's finalists will be announced during Tuesday's scheduled city School Committee meeting.
The search committee — consisting of School Committee members Molly McCullough, Tracy O'Connell Novick and Jermoh Kamara as well as 18 other city residents — completed its referencing period last week, during which the external search firm Greenwood/Asher & Associates gathered information that the committee requested on the candidates to help determine who would be finalists..
"Certainly all of the candidates have been wonderful candidates," McCullough, chair of the search committee, said. "I think it's been very exciting to work towards the next superintendent selection and how that next superintendent will help elevate Worcester even further."
Following the announcement at the 4 p.m. meeting, the Ad Hoc Search Committee will review and approve interview questions before the full School Committee splits up to visit the finalists in their home districts Wednesday through Friday.
"School Committee members have submitted proposals for interview questions, so the Ad Hoc Committee ... will have a separate meeting following the full School Committee meeting tomorrow," McCullough said. "We'll make the announcement where we review, edit and approve the questions for the interviews."
While the number of finalists will not be known until Tuesday, following community meet-and-greets and final interviews between April 25 and 28, the final selection will be made at the April 28 School Committee meeting.
"The interviews will be livestreamed and on local cable access, so that people can watch them virtually or certainly people are welcome to attend in-person," McCullough said.
The interviews will take place either at City Hall or the Durkin Administration Building, depending on if the Council chamber is available, Novick said.
Novick, who said the meeting places would be posted later this week, said the search has been encouraging and that the committee has been "great to work with."
"People really took their time, were really thoughtful," she said. "There were some good discussions during deliberation. It's been very, very encouraging and I think it bodes well for the district."
Kamara said she echoed the same feelings and thoughts that McCullough and Novick shared.
"It was a great process," Kamara said. "I look forward to visiting the candidates we have ... and I look forward to next when we announced who we selected."
The new superintendent will assume their role on July 1, after Superintendent Maureen F. Binienda retires on June 30. Binienda has served in the role for the last six years, and has spent 46 years overall in the district.
"I certainly thank Superintendent Binienda for all of her years of service in the Worcester public schools," McCullough said. "I look forward to her having the opportunity to transition to the next superintendent and take things from there and certainly appreciate all that she has done for our district."
The agenda and Zoom link for Tuesday's meeting can be found here.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Public Schools superintendent finalists set to be revealed at School Committee meeting
