Worcester Picks Next Superintendent on Monday

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester's school committee, after an extensive process, will elect its next superintendent of public schools on Monday, March 14.

The eighth item on its agenda, the committee names its selection during a regular meeting session that starts at 6:15 p.m. at Esther Howland, South Chamber at City Hall.

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The Search Committee for the selection of the superintendent, which was appointed by Mayor Petty, received four applications for the position.

The committee received four applications, all of which were considered for the position and further reviewed by the school committee.

"The candidates all bring to the selection process superlative records of achievement," said an announcement from the search committee. "However, they vary dramatically, one from the other, in areas of expertise, focus, training, experience, and concentration. They provide, collectively, a superb opportunity for the Worcester Public Schools to select, from them, the candidate with the optimal mix of training, talent, and vision which will assist the WPS in addressing the challenges and opportunities which it can reasonably anticipate in the years ahead."

The candidates were interviewed as part of the public meeting of the school committee on Monday, March 7, starting at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

Information on the candidates, as shared by the search committee:

Karrie J. Allen, Ed.D.Dr. Allen, the Principal of Norrback Avenue School, brings to the selection process "15 years’ experience transforming school cultures, implementing effective initiatives and systematically building structures vital to student achievement", as she describes well in her letter of application. During her decade as Principal within the WPS – at Norrback and at May Street School – and in her years of experience as a teacher of children with moderate needs, she has won the respect and allegiance of staff members, students, parents and the community for her focus on student achievement, collaboration, and parent/community involvement. Her former supervisor highlights her "breadth of knowledge, candor, confidence, sense of humor and rapport", which, combined with her record of achievement in elementary education, would serve her well as Superintendent. As a letter of reference regarding her noted, she "has a deep rooted passion for facilitating learning and positive growth; she would be a positive asset to the Worcester Community as the Superintendent."

Maureen F. Binienda. Mrs. Binienda has devoted her entire professional life to the students of the Worcester Public Schools, first as a teacher of moderate special needs students, then as a special education curriculum specialist, then, for the past two decades, as Assistant Principal and Principal of South High Community School. Her dedication to community service – for her students as well as for herself – has earned her an extraordinary array of awards and commendations from civic and educational organizations. At South High Community School, where she has worked since 1978, she is, as summarized so well by the author of one of her letters of recommendation, "everywhere at once, supporting, nurturing, and coaching the entire community, especially her students." Her focus has been equally on setting ambitious standards of academic achievement for her students, epitomized by her Advanced Placement initiatives.

Kerry E. Mulcahy. Ed.D. Dr. Mulcahy has a rich educational pedigree which is tailor-made for leadership in Worcester. She earned her doctorate from the Leadership in Urban Schools program at the University of Massachusetts Boston, having written her thesis on "An Examination of School Committee Municipal Representation in the City of Worcester." She is described today by an associate professor who was her thesis advisor as "the finest student of education politics that I have met in my career in higher education." In Worcester, where she has taught English for more than a decade, currently at Doherty Memorial High School, she is noted for the success of her students on MCAS, for her innovative role with the Engineering Small Learning Community, for her energetic dedication to her school, and for her rapport with her students. As her colleague has emphasized, "[i]n all aspects of her life she has demonstrated the leadership, modesty, passion, determination and integrity that make her an excellent choice for this position."

Marco C. Rodrigues, Ed.D. Dr. Rodrigues has truly experienced all instructional levels of public education, beginning as an instructional assistant at Woodward Day School in 1991, ultimately rising to the position of Executive Director a decade later. He served as Executive Director of the Central Massachusetts Special Education Collaborative for three years. Since 2010 he has been an instructional leader within the Central Administration, culminating in his current position as Interim Superintendent. In each of these positions, he has demonstrated a particular sensitivity to the most challenged students of the WPS, while, as Chief Academic Officer and as Interim Superintendent, he has maintained a clear, thoroughly-informed focus on student achievement and on data-informed instruction methodology. As his predecessor as Chief Academic Officer has noted, he "promotes success for all students by nurturing and sustaining a school culture of reflective practice, high expectations, and continuous learning for staff." As Interim Superintendent, he has shown an ability to formulate, and to consider, novel approaches to school issues, addressing them in a practical, cost-effective manner.