Framingham Schools Seek Equity, Belonging, Community Engagement Assistant Superintendent

News release from Framingham Public Schools.

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham Public Schools (FPS) recently announced that Ms. Tiffany Lillie would be leaving the District for a new opportunity in Worcester (Girls, Inc posted the news in September). FPS has updated the open position title to ‘Assistant Superintendent for Equity, Belonging, and Community Engagement’, as it better aligns with our commitment to creating a sense of belonging for the FPS Community. The position has been posted and the District is currently working with The New England School Development Council (NESDEC) on a formal search process. Framingham community members are encouraged to participate in the hiring process of identifying the new leadership for the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Community Engagement.

The Position

The Assistant Superintendent for Equity, Belonging, and Community Engagement works closely with the district’s various stakeholders and is responsible for prioritizing and operationalizing initiatives, especially those dealing with curriculum, faculty hiring, staff recruiting and retention. This individual is responsible for guiding efforts and creating opportunities to define, assess, and promote diversity, equity and inclusion, educational and employment opportunities, and cultural fluency. This outstanding leader oversees and develops the District’s collaboration with businesses, community organizations, and post-secondary school partnerships. The Assistant Superintendent for Equity, Belonging, and Community Engagement ensures legal compliance with state and federal laws as they pertain to student discipline and well-being, and interacts with parents when issues arise. The Assistant Superintendent for Equity, Belonging, and Community Engagement completes Special Projects as assigned by the Superintendent of Schools. (The complete job description can be found on the FPS website)

The Process

The District is currently working with The New England School Development Council (NESDEC) on a formal search process. As part of this, community members are invited to complete stakeholder-specific surveys by November 17th and they have the option to participate in their respective Focus Groups to help gather direct input that elevates the needs of our District and ensures alignment with our mission, vision, and values. While internal outreach has begun, there are additional engagement opportunities for the broader Framingham Community.

Students, Parents/Guardians, Community Partners, and Community Members are encouraged to complete this brief survey and if interested, attend a virtual Focus Group on November 30th from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm. The focus group will take place on Zoom and is really important to the hiring process for the open position of Assistant Superintendent for Equity, Belonging, and Community Engagement. In order to receive an invitation to the November 30th Focus Group, community members must answer ‘Yes’ to the last question in the survey.

Focus Group Schedule:

• Monday, November 6, 2023: Principals and Senior Leaders (Virtual at 4pm)
• Monday, November 27, 2023: Office of Equity Staff (In-Person at 4:30pm)
• Tuesday, November 28, 2023: All FPS Staff (Virtual at 4:30pm)
• Thursday, November 30, 2023: Community (Virtual at 6pm)

Screening Committee

A pre-determined Screening Committee with FPS Leaders, Staff Members, Equity Office Employees, and Community Members will participate in an orientation, application review, and a series of interviews to identify the finalists. Once finalists are selected, there will be a final round of interviews with Superintendent, Dr. Robert Tremblay and his immediate leadership team.

In rare circumstances, dates will need to change to ensure a better pool of applicants; in such a case, an announcement will be made as soon as possible.

Anyone with questions can contact the recruiter, Anthony J. Bent, Ed.D. (Staff Associate, Executive Searching and Planning with NESDEC).

The job is posted and open for applications through November 28, 2023. Apply Now.