Superintendent, School Committee Try To Reduce Tensions

In a self-initiated, mid-year self-evaluation, Superintendent Greg Maass told the School Committee members Thursday night that "regrettably, my relationship with the School Committee has been tense."

He offered to use the self-evaluation process "to find a way to have a productive conversation to get us back on track."

Several committee members agreed that there were issues, particularly with communication between the superintendent's office and his senior staff and the school committee members.

Committee Chair EuRim Chun said, "If we could get more information, sooner, that would be helpful." She said the committee needed the information as quickly as possible so it can set priorities.

The only specific example cited of poor communication was over the release of the names of four finalists for the high school principal's position.

Committee member Richard Nohelty complained that he learned that the four names were released to the media while he was sitting in the audience at a school function. When asked about the finalists, he said he could not comment because he had been bound to confidentiality in a memo from the superintendent.

More Conversations Needed

"We need more conversation, not less," Nohelty told Maass.

Maass referred the committee members to his concerns in January 2012 about the in-fighting within the school staff. He wrote at the time: "I believe if everyone would set their personal agendas aside and be open to other viewpoints, the quality of time and the pace of decision making would improve significantly."

He told the committee he was concerned with staff members who were not willing "to sacrifice for the collective good."

In the last year, he told the committee "we are moving the employees forward in a productive way."

"Now my concern related to maximizing performance," he told the committee, "is with the School Committee."  

The committee members said some conversations, particularly when the committee members disagree on issues, are uncomfortable in public. But under state open meeting laws, they are required to have these conversations in public.

Chun said there had been "a few difficult conversations." She said she has had to use the gavel a few times to bring order to the committee's discussion.

Significant Progress Achieved

Committee member Jonathan Lederman noted that under Maass' leadership the district has made great progress and achieved many successes. However, he said the committee needs to find better ways to disagree with the superintendent.

"No one gets his way every time," Lederman said.

He also said historically there have been one-on-one conversations that have led to acrimony among committee members.

Committee member Tom Connally described the disagreements as only "a couple of mild hiccups." He said compared to his experience on Beacon Hill, the disagreements among School Committee members were mild.

Maass, who said he has been conducting similar self-evaluations since he became a principal in 1979, did not have to do a mid-term assessment. He initiated it, he said, because he wanted to make sure he was on the right track. 

The normal evaluation is conducted at the end of the year by the School Committee at a retreat.

In general, the evaluation surveys that faculty and administrators completed on Maass' performance were very positive.

One comment returned in the survey stated: "Integrity and honesty are the hallmarks of this superintendent. Accessibility and candor regardless of station or status give a person confidence that they will be fairly dealt with and achieve a just outcome in dealings with Dr. Maass."

Another said simply: "The best since sliced bread."

A third stated: "Although I have not always agreed with the superintendent's decisions, I do understand that he has the best interest of the student and parent community in mind."