Superintendent Receives "Good" Evaluation; No Impact on Salary

On a scale of zero to 2, the School Committee gave school Supt. Mark Donovan a grade of 1.2—or “close to 1.56” if one rating area is left out of his evaluation for the 2010-11 school year.

The committee also voted Wednesday night to have its Personnel Subcommittee rework the evaluation form.

Overall, the superintendent received a "good" score and, committee member and Personnel Subcommittee Chairman Christopher Kisiel said, committee members “seemed happy” with Donovan.

The evaluation form asks School Committee members to rank the superintendent in four areas:  personnel; financial and building management; curriculum; and communications with the committee, staff, parents, city officials and the general public.

Several members questioned the ranking system for certain projects, such as . The work is in process, but not done, leading at least one committee member to give the superintendent a zero in that category because the goal has not yet been achieved.  For that reason, committee member Denis Russell described the evaluation document as “seriously flawed.”

The superintendent received high marks from committee members, Kisiel said, in preparing for the opening of the ; , which is closing in several days as a public school; and using technology, including a .

Donovan needs to get the school budget to city officials sooner, Kisiel said, and implement a new budget format.

Several committee members essentially dismissed one goal for the superintendent:  to have him provide a local newspaper column about school events, which he had not done.

The superintendent’s evaluation has no bearing on his salary this year, according to committee discussion after the public portion of the meeting ended. Donovan’s salary in this, the second year of a three-year contract, is $153,000, according to the discussion. His salary in the third year will be negotiated, according to the discussion.

Donovan said he was “frustrated” that the middle school roofs are not done. Further, this year, “hot–button issues” took a lot of his time, he said.

In the public comment section of the meeting, two residents of the Clapp School neighborhood blasted the committee and Donovan for their actions regarding the Clapp School. Denise Caprio said the committee treated the neighborhood “like dirt.” As principal, people adored Donovan, she said, but not as superintendent. Caprio asked that the superintendent’s pay be frozen.

The committee spent roughly 35 minutes on the superintendent’s evaluation. The committee concluded its meeting in executive, or private, session to discuss contract negotiations with an unnamed principal.