Holliston School Committee interviews James Kimo Carter, finalist for superintendent

James Kimo Carter, a candidate for superintendent, told the Holliston School Committee on Jan. 30 that he was impressed by the district after touring its schools and meeting students, staff and families and that he sees opportunity to build on existing strengths. "Holliston has so much going for it. It is on the cusp in my opinion, it's on the cusp of becoming a world class school district," Carter said, opening the interview.

Carter framed communication and transparency as first priorities. He said effective communication begins with listening and that predictable, multi‑level channels (central office notices, principal weekly updates and teacher communications) help build trust. "One of the skills that I do ... is face to face dialogue. There's no substitute," he said, citing a district newsletter model and predictable principal communications as examples.

On safety, equity and recent hate incidents he described in his current district, Carter recounted a series of antisemitic and racist graffiti incidents and the district’s response: denouncing the acts, convening assemblies and advisory lessons, offering counseling and opening a broad belonging/inclusion/diversity/equity committee to community members. "We had 2 incidents of graffiti with swastikas at the ... middle school, and then 1 at the high school," he said, adding that district leaders held forums and invited families into a long‑range, proactive plan.

Carter emphasized measuring the impact of equity and climate work with both quantitative and qualitative tools: statewide and regional surveys (post‑MCAS climate items, youth risk behavior, MetroWest), attendance and behavioral data, and focused student interviews and counselor follow‑ups to understand whether programs are moving the needle.

On instruction and closing achievement gaps, Carter described a multi‑year literacy adoption and intervention approach taken in his previous district: moving from inconsistent elementary practice to piloted core materials, selecting EL Education as a primary curriculum while maintaining Fundations phonics and adding Heggerty for phonemic awareness to reach students who had not responded to tier‑1 instruction. He said the district used disaggregated data and teacher‑led pilots to identify weaknesses and tailor interventions for the lowest performing 10–15 percent of readers.

Asked how he balances high expectations for advanced learners with supports for struggling students, Carter pointed to Universal Design for Learning, formative assessment and tiered interventions, and said student leadership groups and a coalition of clubs help ensure student voice in policy and hiring. He described including students on interview teams for roles such as music director and METCO director.

On scheduling and controversy, Carter described convening diverse stakeholder teams (teachers, students, union leadership, parents and school committee members) to vet several schedule options, pilot proposals and settle on a modified cycle that included a weekly flexible "Wildcat" block for advisory and assemblies. He stressed continuing outreach to groups disappointed by the outcome.

Carter acknowledged that budget and finance are areas he would continue to develop as superintendent but described hands‑on experience stepping into finance responsibilities when district staffing changed. He emphasized transparent level‑service budgeting, early stakeholder engagement (finance committee, union leadership), and reallocating resources to support reading interventions and coaching when data indicated a need.

Carter also discussed capital projects and the district’s recent invitation to the MSBA eligibility period for a potential high school renovation or replacement. He described prior participation in MSBA repair and self‑study processes, and said a superintendent leads instructional design for a building project while working closely with town officials and the school committee. He recommended hiring a professional project manager for large capital work.

Throughout the interview Carter described his leadership style as relational and network‑oriented, emphasizing trust, repair when connections break, and acting with integrity and kindness. His entry plan would begin with a summer listening tour, diagnostic stakeholder questions, classroom visits with principals and department leaders, a compiled entry findings report and a collaborative strategic‑planning process to set the district’s 3–5 year roadmap.

The committee thanked Carter for his time. Dan Alfred moved to adjourn, John seconded, the chair called "All in favor," and the meeting closed.