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Middleborough teacher warns committee district is 'held together by duct tape,' cites leadership vacancies and low morale
Summary
During public comment, Sarah Crawford, a district employee and Middleborough Public Schools graduate, told the committee the central office is "basically empty," listed multiple leadership vacancies and urged the committee to find steady administrative leadership and update communications equipment.
A Middleborough Public Schools employee told the school committee May 28 the district is struggling with leadership vacancies and sagging staff morale and asked the committee for quicker administrative appointments and updated radios.
"It is currently being held together by duct tape, a popsicle stick, and some cute giraffe stickers," said Sarah Crawford, who identified herself as a resident and an elementary‑school employee. She described an understaffed central office, said the interim superintendent is covering multiple roles, and reported that the director of curriculum is "nowhere to be found after a vote of no confidence," and that the district’s special education director left in fall 2025 and the interim director is leaving.
Crawford urged the committee to find "steady, sturdy" administration for the district and to fill key administrative positions in both the short and long term. She also asked the district to replace outdated radios used for daily school communications.
Committee members acknowledged staff morale and stability as priorities as they narrowed applicants for an interim superintendent and reviewed a community survey of 270 responses that ranked school safety and climate, communication and transparency, leadership, staff support and morale, and budget/resource priorities among the top concerns. The committee said those results will inform the questions it asks finalists at the June 3 interviews.
The committee did not take immediate personnel action at the May 28 meeting; it voted unanimously to invite four finalists to interview June 3 and will continue work on candidate selection and interview questions.
