Superintendent reports two central-office resignations; search committees named and interim coverage arranged
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Summary
Superintendent Theresa Murphy told the committee that the district will lose its director of secondary special education and director of facilities in mid-March; interim coverage and search committees were described and a new superintendent selection was announced pending contract work.
Superintendent Theresa Murphy opened the meeting’s administrative report by announcing two upcoming departures from central office leadership and outlining interim coverage and search plans.
Murphy said the director of secondary special education, Tim Tejasik, will leave mid-March to take a position with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The district’s director of facilities, Matt Jacks, is moving to run the Braintree Department of Public Works and likewise will depart in mid-March. “They both are such assets to our school district,” Murphy said.
To cover the special-education director duties, Murphy and Assistant Superintendent Jessica Davis said the district has arranged short-term interim support from a retired special-education director, Catherine Zinni, who will assist a few days per week during the transition. Jessica Davis will lead the search committee for a permanent replacement.
Murphy also said Julia Greenstein will serve in the interim role for the assistant superintendent position after Michael Connelly’s planned departure; the committee named Jocelyn Lemaire to lead the search for the assistant superintendent of teaching and learning. Facilities director recruitment will be led by member Ed (committee staff and roles discussed at the meeting) and will proceed after refinements to the job description.
Murphy said two of the vacancies are already posted and that the district will try to sequence searches to avoid overwhelming staff. She asked committee members who want to participate on any search committee to notify her or staff by the end of the week.
The committee also discussed the superintendent search outcome: Murphy said the committee has selected a candidate and a press release and photograph would be issued the next morning; contract negotiations remained pending at the time of the meeting.
Why it matters: The mid-March departures will require immediate interim coverage in areas (special education and facilities) that affect daily operations, IEPs and maintenance projects. The committee and administration flagged continuity and careful sequencing of searches as priorities.
