Salem Set To Interview Interim School Superintendent Candidate

SALEM, MA — The Salem School Committee will meet next week to interview Kathleen Smith, who has applied to serve as the school system's interim superintendent next year. Smith is retiring as superintendent of Brockton Public Schools at the end of the current school year. The meeting is open to the public and will be held in Chambers at the Collins Middle School at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Smith, 63, was the first woman to be named superintendent of Brockton Public Schools in 2013. When she retires on June 30, she will have been with the school district for 42 years, where she started her career as a teacher. Smith made headlines last year when she and other city officials sued the state education department in an attempt to change the formula used to determine the amount of aid, which critics say short-changes urban school districts like Brockton.

Smith, who convinced other urban school districts to join the lawsuit, has said she would continue to work with Brockton until the lawsuit is settled. When she announced her retirement, Brockton School Committee members praised her for leading the district through tough budget cycles, decreased state funding, staff cuts and her ability to "do more with less."

Salem Public Schools named Assistant Superintendent Kate Carbone acting superintendent after Margarita Ruiz stepped down and is trying to find someone to fill the interim position for the 2019-20 school year. Earlier this month, the Salem School Committee said it was having trouble finding qualified candidates for the post. At the time, only two of the 12 people who have applied to be Salem's interim superintendent have the necessary job experience.

Ruiz agreed to resign after several complaints were lodged against her, including how she handled the resignation and replacement of the principal at Salem High School. She will be paid through the end of the year.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).