School Committee Members Spar Over Superintendent Search

The School Committee hammered out an uneasy peace over the new superintendent search Wednesday night.

Superintendent Sidney Smith has announced he will retire effective July 1, ending his three-year tenure in the school system’s executive chair.

In a heated discussion over the process to replace Smith, committee members tried to strike a balance between finding the best available candidate versus supporting local applicants who have dedicated their time and skills to the city.

In the end, the committee agreed to use the Massachusetts Association of School Committees to coordinate the search, but an amendment will require the full School Committee to interview any local candidates who are certified to become a superintendent and meet the Department of Education and Secondary Education’s qualifications for the top school position.

A further amendment will require the search committee to forward at least two candidates from outside the school system for final consideration by the full School Committee.

There are several components to the planned search for a new school superintendent. The committee authorized Mayor Richard Howard to negotiate with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees to have the group serve as a consultant. A team from the association will solicit and review applicants for the job.

They will then forward the most qualified applicants to a local search committee, comprised of Malden residents and professionals. That committee will deliberate over the options, interview candidates, and recommend a finite number of applicants to the full School Committee for its review.

The full committee will interview the finalists in public, then deliberate to select their choice to replace the retiring Smith as school superintendent.

When the School Committee met last week to discuss the process, a vote to hire a consulting firm failed 4-4 after a contingent of members asked that the committee establish a process to find internal candidates qualified to take the reins at the School Department.

Wednesday’s night meeting was called as the question was reconsidered. Committee member Leonard Iovino offered a compromise amendment to hire a consultant, but also preserve a path for in-house candidates to get their shot in front of the committee.

“We believe the overarching issue is the need to move forward with the search,” said Iovino.

The amendment was met with opposition from several members, including Stephen Ultrino, who was concerned the in-house path would act as a chilling effect for external candidates.

“This motion is absolutely absurd. I think it’s politically tainted,” said Ultrino.  “ If the search committee finds anyone qualified—as they did the last time, when Mr. Smith was hired—that’s what they’ll do.”

Ultrino’s description of the plan as “politically tainted” angered Iovino.

“I take exception to your use of that term,” said Iovino. “At least we would give these people a fighting chance…there’s nothing to be gained here by me or anybody else.”

Ultrino later apologized, saying he did not mean to imply Iovino or any committee member had ulterior motives in supporting the amendment.

School Committee member Peg Crowe agreed with Ultrino, saying the amendment would show external candidates that Malden was not serious about its search. Crowe also objected to including the amendment’s language to the contract with the search consultant, saying this was a procedural matter, not a contractual one.

Howard attempted to bridge the gap between the two sides, offering to smooth over differences in process once the consultant was in place and search committee was formed.

The committee voted to accept a separate amendment offered by committee member Stephen Winslow. That amendment would require the search committee to forward at least two external candidates to the full school committee for finalist interviews. That would ensure the committee’s commitment to an impartial process for all applicants, said Winslow.