Lowell is getting ready to search for a new school superintendent, since Jeannine Durkin, currently the acting superintendent, intends to step down in mid-August. Durkin plans to resume her position as Deputy Superintendent for Student Support Services.
Durkin's decision has triggered a sense of urgency in the selection process, since some districts post positions available for superintendents in early fall. Connie Martin, a School Committee member, recently submitted a motion to start the hunt immediately. She also wants to see the job opening posted in Journals as well as other appropriate publications and ask the Massachusetts Association of School Committees to handle the process.
The Association is also tasked with setting up a timeline for the search and creating a blue-ribbon committee of community members to screen applicants. The committee will then narrow the field to the final three to five applicants. When measures like this are being considered, officials could use flyer printing to list guidelines for choosing the final contenders.
William Samaras, the mayor of Lowell, said the committee also needs to create a package describing the district's problems as well as its resources. He believes the superintendent's salary should also be included and would like to have community input on this measure as well. He added the committee should post the opening at its next meeting and establish some of these other guidelines before the interviews begin.
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