Stoughton School Committee interviews High School Principal Juliette Miller for superintendent opening

Stoughton High School Principal Juliette Miller, a 27-year educator and candidate for Stoughton Public Schools superintendent, met with the Stoughton School Committee on Feb. 25 for a formal interview that focused on crisis response, falling MCAS scores in grades 3'5, MSBA building projects and supports for at-risk students.

Miller outlined a three-part crisis priority in response to a hypothetical elementary-school fire: safety and well-being first, minimizing educational disruption second, and budgetary implications third. "People need to feel that you are caring for them and that you are working hard for them," Miller said, urging prompt, transparent communication and recommending video messages and delegated communications roles to district staff. She proposed short-term moves such as using large spaces at the middle or high school to house displaced elementary students while seeking longer-term solutions such as modular classrooms or reconstruction and said she would immediately explore insurance and emergency funding options, including potential state or federal emergency aid and MSBA funding pathways.

On academic decline, Miller recommended a data-first, multi-pronged approach: desegregate and analyze MCAS and attendance data, check curriculum alignment and pacing, deploy instructional coaches and interventionists, offer extended-day and summer programming (ideally at reduced or no cost for families), and engage families through outreach and events. "You're probably going to take this approach where it's a multi-pronged approach and you're going to try to tackle it from all different directions," she said. Miller also named the district's elementary coaches and her own experience bringing coaches into elementary schools as resources she would use.

Committee members pressed Miller on immediate financing for an emergency response; she said the district should consider freezing discretionary operating-line spending to free short-term funds while exploring insurance claims, emergency state or federal grants and loans. Miller noted capacity constraints at elementary buildings and said she would weigh temporary placement at the middle or high school versus modular units placed on elementary campuses, accounting for transportation and staffing impacts.

Miller described specific past experience with the Massachusetts School Building Authority process, citing her role on the Stoughton High School project: she wrote the educational plan, participated in MSBA presentations, worked on change orders and said the high school project completed significantly under budget despite minor COVID-related delays. She said she would apply the same emphasis on community forums, staff input and student engagement to the planned elementary project.

Committee members asked about equity and outreach to families with limited time or resources. Miller proposed targeted programs, multilingual communications, partnerships with Stoughton Public Library, Stoughton Youth Center and local nonprofits, and after-school and vocational pathways that better connect students to career and postsecondary options. She recommended individualized supports for students with IEPs and newcomer EL programs where appropriate, and emphasized relationship-building between staff and students: "Most of what we do as educators is build relationships. If you don't build the relationship, you cannot attract that kid."

Miller also described administrative accomplishments at Stoughton High School, including a multi-year schedule change developed with faculty and a shift in school culture during her 13 years as principal. She said her decision-making style is collaborative and data-driven and that she would spend her early months listening to stakeholders while moving deliberately to implement priorities.

The committee opened and closed the special meeting by unanimous votes. A motion to open the special meeting "for the purposes of interviewing our candidate for superintendent" passed 5-0 (moved by Lindsay; seconded by Armando). A motion to adjourn passed 5-0 (moved by Lindsay; seconded by Karen). No hiring decision was taken at the meeting.

The committee noted a tentative special meeting date of Tuesday, March 4, 2025, pending calendar coordination, and scheduled the next regular school committee meeting for Tuesday, March 11, 2025.