Jason Kalishman, superintendent of Swampscott Public Schools, presented an entry plan and a set of four superintendent goals Thursday, outlining specific actions for the first 90 and 180 days and targets to be monitored across a three‑year period.

Kalishman described the entry plan as a phased approach emphasizing relationship‑building, visibility and a districtwide program review. "The entry plan is really broken down into the first 90 days and the first 180 days," he told the School Committee, saying the plan ties to his formal goals and to state indicators used in evaluations.

The plan’s first phase focuses on meetings with families and community stakeholders, hosting listening sessions with virtual options, and using ParentSquare and a superintendent newsletter to create a feedback loop. Phase two centers on regular school visits and presence at extracurricular events; Kalishman said he has initial weekly visits scheduled (Tuesdays at the middle school, Wednesdays at the high school, Thursdays at the elementary) and will log at least two visits per month per school when calendars require flexibility. Phase three focuses on assessment and improvement, including program reviews and data analysis of achievement, graduation and attendance.

Why this matters: The presentation links measurable data to interventions and sets targets intended to give the committee concrete evidence for oversight. Committee members repeatedly asked for measurable benchmarks and six‑month check‑ins.

Key targets and programs Kalishman outlined
- Chronic absenteeism: Kalishman noted the middle school’s chronic absenteeism rate is about 6 percent compared with a state average that “was hovering over 20 percent” last year; he said the district will monitor chronic absenteeism and expand targeted intervention groups. "If you don't track the things that you care about, you care about the things you track," School Committee member Glenn said.
- Data and instruction: The district will use data meetings (elementary and secondary) and tools Kalishman identified as "Open Architects" (data dashboards referenced in the presentation), MCAS, i‑Ready and other diagnostics to form targeted instruction blocks and cross‑curricular rubrics.
- Targeted instruction blocks: Elementary schools will implement 40‑minute targeted instruction blocks modeled on middle‑school enrichment structures to group students by need and deepen cross‑grade teacher collaboration.
- Communication and engagement: Kalishman set newsletter targets (aiming for 90 percent of parents to receive the monthly newsletter and 90 percent to find it informative) and a staff survey baseline (targeting 80 percent of staff reporting the superintendent is visible and engaged). He described ParentSquare analytics as a tool to measure message delivery and opens.
- Student voice: The superintendent proposed a volunteer student cabinet (high school year one, possible middle school inclusion later) to meet 2–4 times annually to provide student feedback.
- Professional practice and induction: Kalishman said he will complete the first year of the New Superintendent Induction Program (NISIP/NICEP) by June 2026, and that leadership team evaluation and a revamped teacher evaluation system (TeachPoint referenced) will be implemented.

Committee response and next steps
Committee members praised the presentation’s clarity and repeatedly pressed for measurable checkpoints. Several members urged delegation where appropriate and suggested the superintendent formalize peer support and budget literacy within his professional goals. The committee asked Kalishman to circulate the entry plan and return with edits or specific questions at the next meeting; members also agreed to revisit progress roughly every six months.

Direct quotes used in this article are limited to remarks made by committee members and district staff during the meeting: "The entry plan is really broken down into the first 90 days and the first 180 days," Kalishman said. "If you don't track the things that you care about, you care about the things you track," School Committee member Glenn said.

Votes at a glance
- Approval of regular session minutes from September 2025 — Motion moved and seconded; recorded voice votes: unanimous "Aye." Outcome: approved.
- Motion to adjourn — Motion moved and seconded; recorded voice votes: unanimous "Aye." Outcome: approved.

The committee scheduled the next regular meeting and asked members to submit any suggested edits to the entry plan by email so the group can finalize goals and dates at the next meeting.