[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:00] 10, 2025, school committee meeting. It is 7,04, and I recognize we have a quorum, including our illustrative student representative, Andrew Flushman. Thank you for being here, Andrew. This is a combination of a lot of work. Members of the audience are part of our search committee advisory committee team. We should all stand on applaud, picture our standing on applaud. Let me go through the formalities first.
[0:29] and if we can get to our agenda, this is me, Chair.
[0:34] In accordance with MGL, Chapter 38, Section 20F, this meeting is being recorded
[0:38] by the Mansfield-Kevil-Axist Channel.
[0:40] It could be broadcasted at various times over several days.
[0:42] The law permits members of the public to make the room recording of this meeting
[0:45] after giving notice to the Chair in subject to certain restrictions.
[0:48] If anyone in the audience intends to make a video or audio recording of this meeting,
[0:53] I don't see anyone.
[0:54] I would ask that you please inform me at this time by coming to the microphone
[0:57] for when stating your name and address, your cooperation is appreciated.
[1:01] Okay, seeing none, I've mentioned the roll call already.
[1:05] We're all here, present and accounted for, pledge of allegiance.
[1:13] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic
[1:18] for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all.
[1:29] One of these days, would you say you have the two pledges too?
[1:33] You don't want to say you have the two pledges?
[1:34] No, okay.
[1:35] That's fine.
[1:36] Our only agenda item of the day for the most part is the old business superintendent search on the agenda.
[1:43] We have quite a few little points there that we'll be covering before we get there though, a couple of items.
[1:51] First, first time a long time we've talked about somebody else named superintendent around here, except for superintendent Theresa Murphy.
[2:00] So I wanted to start off the meeting by acknowledging her leadership in our district.
[2:03] It was an eight years, nine years, superintendant.
[2:09] So long, we can't remember how long it's been.
[2:12] But we definitely want to acknowledge today just because there will be potentially a new superintendant
[2:20] determined for July 1st, and we will definitely acknowledge her a lot more between now and then as well.
[2:26] I presume, even if she doesn't want it.
[2:28] Anyway, so I also want to thank the search committee members and everyone that participated in each of our site visits.
[2:33] It was quite a wide array of individuals that participated on those three days.
[2:38] Fortunately, no one came on Thursday, that would have been tough.
[2:41] But thanks to the six in the audience, thanks to our consultants in the back of the room as well.
[2:46] And any committee members want to acknowledge them as well, feel free, Lynn?
[2:51] I also would like to thank the members of the search committee.
[2:54] It was a lot of work over a very concentrated amount of time.
[2:59] And I want to thank especially Diane for all her support.
[3:05] There was a lot of logistics that we worked on together to kind of make this process.
[3:13] Move forward.
[3:14] I also would like to thank Steve for his role.
[3:17] He took on a lot of the back and forth with our MSC consultants as well.
[3:22] So I do think that we were fortunate to know at the point of the year when Superintendent Murphy informed us of her impending retirement because we were able to get the search started.
[3:37] I think there are a lot of searches that are being launched or have been launched since we've launched ours so I'm glad we were able to get our moving when we did.
[3:45] Yeah,
[3:49] I want to just reiterate that too because and thank you to Lynn and Steve because both of you and Diane the three of you like did so much work
[3:56] I know how many hours went into all the things that you did and
[4:00] It's because of all of that that we're here today
[4:02] But I also want to make the point very publicly. I've heard feedback
[4:06] Certain people thought we went really really fast. I just want to say we didn't right we did this at a pace that we could
[4:14] and be very thorough in the process, but also be early in the superintendent's search so we could choose who we wanted to choose and not wait for everyone else to choose and then have whatever's left right?
[4:29] Excuse me. So thank you, because I know what went into taking the pace that we did with the due diligence that we had. So I just want to say thank you for all of that.
[4:40] I also just really quickly wanted to express my gratitude for both the school committee and
[4:44] the search committee, but also for the involving the students in so many facets of the whole process from site visits to surveys and stakeholder input and having both me and
[4:55] Rhea on the search committee and the whole process throughout.
[4:59] So I was just really grateful for the opportunity that student voice was included throughout the whole process.
[5:04] I just wanted to mention that too.
[5:09] I mean, it seems crazy because we're all, you know, so forever indebted to all of your work, but I would be remiss if I didn't take, you know, my opportunity to just say a personal thank you.
[5:21] Search committees are a lot of work. It's hard work. It's emotional. It's time consuming. And everybody coming out and putting it in all their, they're all in giving honest feedback so that we can continue.
[5:40] So, I am so thankful for all of you and the members that couldn't be here that showed up and gave their honest feedback.
[5:50] Also, the different site visits.
[5:53] The amount of feedback that came out of those was incredible.
[5:58] People definitely took the time to be thoughtful and thorough.
[6:01] So thankful for the student voice, they are so honest and I think that they had some really great feedback to take into consideration.
[6:14] And of course, Stephen Lynn and our fearless organizer Diane, who might not always feel fearless, but certainly she is.
[6:25] I just want to thank all the parents, the teachers, the students.
[6:28] Andrew, you go to school, the entire search committee staff.
[6:33] I enjoyed reading everyone's feedback that gave us a lot of insight.
[6:38] And thank you for putting in your long nights, you didn't have to do it.
[6:41] Andrew, thank you because you have school, you put in a long day.
[6:44] So I'm very grateful for you to have joined the search committee.
[6:48] Thank you.
[6:50] I'd be remiss if we don't let Diane say a word or two could be just a word or two could be 20 if you want but you deserve more than.
[6:59] Yeah.
[7:00] Well, thank you for everything you just said and I from coordinating it to some point and observing it.
[7:08] I can say that it was an extremely satisfying process to listen to everybody's feedback and the search committee.
[7:16] We just work so well together to come up with the candidates, so thank you for letting me be a part of it.
[7:23] Thank you.
[7:26] We don't have to go through the entire process of the last three or four months.
[7:30] Still trying to realize that it actually happened and we're coming to this day here, but as a chair, I'm declaring that the matter of selecting our next superintendent is appropriately before the school committee.
[7:42] We have gone through all the proper procedures, all the proper protocols, and we've done the full vetting, including these seven hours of candidate interviewing this past Saturday, which went very, very well.
[7:57] Thank you all for that.
[8:00] So I'm declaring that the matter is properly before the school committee.
[8:04] And with that said, I will be calling for a discussion that will include two components.
[8:09] discussions about the candidates and the method of selection or election.
[8:16] I think the appropriate approach and we discussed this a bit on Saturday and before as well is to have a discussion first related to the appointment of the superintendent.
[8:27] And as that deliberation proceeds, we'll see whether we're prepared to take a vote either through a ballot method or through a motion.
[8:38] I'm prepared to do either, in fact I'd like to hear from my colleagues if they would prefer either method.
[8:45] Now or later, it's up to you, but I think we're ready for deliberation.
[8:54] Everyone concur?
[8:55] Thank you.
[8:58] It's originally the chair waits to the end, and I think that's unfortunate, and it's unfair to you guys as well.
[9:04] So I'll make a few comments to kick us off, and then proceed.
[9:12] And I apologize if I'm a little bit blunt to the point sometimes, but that's me.
[9:19] So I think Mansfield's an academically rigorous and high performing district that supports all of our students' growth.
[9:26] High learners, high achievers, high needs, all the way around.
[9:31] It requires leaders that have the degrees and
[9:33] backgrounds that are instructionally focused on leader that can elevate the bar from where we are today and
[9:38] prepare our leadership teams and staff to succeed.
[9:40] So in some ways, anything less than that is cheating our potential, cheating the potential of our current and future students.
[9:48] And one thing we talked about a lot was fitting this superintendent in with the assistant superintendents.
[9:54] Now, that's how it went through the criteria episode, that was how it went through a lot of what 462 residents,
[10:01] parents, guardians, and staff gave us their thoughts on what they'd like to see in the next superintendent pack in December.
[10:07] So we could supplement what is lacking in some of these candidates with strong assistance
[10:11] for attendance, but not when we have a clearly superior candidate right in front of us.
[10:17] So my favorite for this position was my favorite since we first interviewed her.
[10:24] And I was very pleased to see her as a finalist.
[10:26] That opinion didn't change at all, it didn't change even from some encouragement from one of our state representatives.
[10:32] In order to change that opinion change, when those who attended the visits last week expressed their opinions as well, I've kind of held steadfast to that.
[10:44] She clearly has the education experience to bring her to shift forward.
[10:47] She has required experience in the classroom, which is something I value as well and has preferred degrees and her approach to spot on with what we may need.
[10:58] I guess I was taken aback by some of the responses by finalists and those who we interviewed initially, but, and yeah, I said we did leave some qualified candidates on the table, but I do like the selections we have and based on the criteria I just laid out, I do a preference at this time,
[11:22] the preference would be Michelle.
[11:35] So how do we want to do this? Do we want to just make a motion and see if we're all feeling the same way?
[11:40] No, deliberations, talk about the candidates, that's what we're here for, make sure you keep the factual.
[11:45] All right, well, I'll go next one. For one Steve, I'm going to say that I agree with you.
[12:01] You can record now, I'll let you record the meeting all you want.
[12:06] I think that Michelle stood above the rest.
[12:11] I think we again had excellent candidates from the very start, though, I guess from Wednesday
[12:20] when it was the first day.
[12:21] I met Michelle, she just, I don't know it felt right, I felt like she could move our
[12:27] district forward. She showed up in her interview wearing Mansfield green. I really loved that.
[12:35] She was also the only candidate to follow up with an email, which really spoke volumes to me.
[12:49] Next. I feel I saw the candidates the most so I don't want to go.
[12:54] Third, so I'm going to be in agreement with the Steve and Jen.
[13:02] I didn't have her ranked first on paper and then we, I attended all three of the parent
[13:10] meetings because I am a parent and I got to see all of them and how they interacted with
[13:17] the parents which to me was super, super important to see in addition how they all showed up to
[13:24] the interviews here. She just really, really stuck out and impressed me and I have to
[13:29] agree with what Jen said. The extra touch of the reach out after the fact, what I thought
[13:35] was a very, very important touch. The Mansfield Green I picked up on as well and I just really
[13:41] loved her energy and what she brought to her interactions with every person that I saw
[13:47] her interact with. So, I am also in favor of Michelle. Also, I just want to add to that
[13:54] in the student survey, Michelle was the only candidate that the 100% of the students felt
[14:03] confident in. So, that was just another. All right, can I have to talk?
[14:10] I will say, I narrowed
[14:11] down to candidates and like Jen over here said originally, the person I'm going with at this moment.
[14:21] I wanted to see a little bit more from because on paper I needed a little more but she definitely did wow me in person.
[14:29] And it's more than that, I'm about the students, I'm about special education for those that know me.
[14:34] I am about the marginalized community, I'm for everyone's special ed,
[14:38] higher achievers and everyone in between someone who has personality, someone who's going to be there, someone who cares about relationships with the students, teachers, staff, and us as well because you've got to get along with us too, right?
[14:49] So, I will say, I will make my decision for Michelle from North out of Borough.
[15:00] So I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet all three of the candidates in two different settings, the student, quorum, input session, and also on Saturday with the final interviews. And I think there were at least one or two candidates who, I saw some discrepancies in how they kind of felt towards each individual session, whether be with the students or with us. And I was kind of a big red flag for me. But for me, I would also go with Miss McEwen. I thought everything was consistent in all the time.
[15:29] I spent with her, she seemed really in it for the students, which I appreciated.
[15:35] And I think looking back through my notes, she has a lot of familiarity with a lot of the things that we're already about,
[15:43] whether it be as well as the website we use and also the 4Ls and student voice summit.
[15:47] And so I think it would be a smooth transition, but she would also be able to bring new things to the table that she has in her past experience.
[15:55] So, for those reasons, Michelle McEwan would definitely be my first choice.
[16:02] Anya?
[16:05] I don't think there's a lot left to say, but I hasn't been said.
[16:08] I had the opportunity, obviously, to be on the search committee.
[16:13] I went into the search thinking I wanted to really see more experienced, superintendents
[16:19] So to Vivian and Jen's point on paper, I wasn't quite sure,
[16:24] but I left the search round thinking that she brought so much more
[16:32] than what you can pull out of her actual paper application.
[16:36] And then I had the opportunity to sit in on all of the candidates visits last week
[16:45] with the student group, the staff, and also the parent group for two of the sessions.
[16:54] For me, there was really no other candidate. I think not only does she have the experience
[17:00] in the skills, but she also has those soft skills that you're looking for. She was, she greeted
[17:05] everybody personally. She made sure she knew their names. She went to welcome them as they
[17:11] We enter the room, it's the soft skills that you want to see as a parent as your child
[17:17] goes out into the world.
[17:18] I mean, in terms of just modeling what you want to see our students be able to do.
[17:22] I think she brings that depth of experience that will help us move things forward.
[17:29] I think it's often when someone leaves their position, you think about all the new things
[17:33] are the things you'd like to see change and sometimes it's easy to forget all the good
[17:37] things that are in place that you want continued.
[17:39] And I feel that she will help us continue the best of what we have right now and build on that foundation that Theresa has been able to put in place over these past eight years and then move us forward.
[17:55] And she's got that, particularly that depth of experience and curriculum and instruction that is going to be very helpful because we are also be onboarding somebody new and assistant superintendent position.
[18:08] And I thought she was great with the students, I couldn't concur more with the student feedback.
[18:17] And lastly, you know, as I said Steve did a lot of the back and forth with MAC, I did
[18:23] a lot of the writing of the materials, I was very intentional when we wrote the position
[18:31] description to weave in the vision and the mission of the district into the position goal.
[18:42] And she was the only candidate that actually spoke to that and spoke to how it resonated
[18:48] with her.
[18:49] And I think, if anything, what we're looking for is a superintendent, not with their own vision,
[18:55] but a vision for us, for how we can reach our district vision.
[18:59] And I think that, I think Michelle will bring that to us.
[19:05] I just wanted to add to Jen made the point
[19:08] about the student feedback, they were 100% yes,
[19:11] but across all of the feedback,
[19:13] she was like 90 something percent yes,
[19:16] and no one else could touch her.
[19:17] So, I think, I can't remember how my response
[19:20] was we got on that one.
[19:21] 37.
[19:22] Thank you.
[19:23] That's a lot, right?
[19:24] So, I thought that was huge.
[19:26] And indicative of what everyone else was seeing too.
[19:29] And I really appreciate those who fill out that survey because all but two waited till the last candidate was just spoken to so they can make a perfect and so it means hundred and seven went to every last session as well.
[19:43] That they were asked to go to whether it be the parent one of the staff one or the leadership or students.
[19:51] So now I'm perplexed, I know, should we use these ballots or not, but they're nicely printed and call for a motion.
[20:00] All right, I will, so a couple of things here, I'm declaring that we still require just three affirmative votes for any particular candidate without any, okay?
[20:12] Okay, so I'll be happy to entertain a motion on the question of who will be our next superintendent of school's subject to completion of a contract negotiation.
[20:23] There's one.
[20:24] I will-
[20:25] There's a motion that's been printed out for us.
[20:27] I move that Michelle McEwen be appointed superintendent of schools for Mansfield effective July 1st, 2025.
[20:35] That's correct.
[20:36] Subject to the successful negotiation of a contract of employment mutually agreeable to the candidate in the school committee and signed by both parties or their designees second here motion and a second to any discussion.
[20:51] Last chance, Andrew.
[20:53] I'm all for it.
[20:56] This is exciting.
[20:58] You're a roll call.
[20:59] This is very exciting.
[21:01] Graduation is on June 9th, just in case.
[21:04] Okay, there's a little bit of discussion, you know, despite the Super Bowl score of North
[21:11] Arab or beating us.
[21:13] I will take note that both the boys and girls beat North Arab or Friday night in basketball,
[21:18] so that's a good thing.
[21:21] Can we vote Steve?
[21:23] Yes.
[21:24] I'm going to close discussion of the matter before I get to carried away and ask Lynn, what
[21:30] is your vote?
[21:31] Aye.
[21:31] Why?
[21:32] Jen, what is your vote?
[21:33] Aye.
[21:34] Jen, what is your vote?
[21:35] Aye.
[21:36] Viv, what is your vote?
[21:37] Aye.
[21:37] And I vote aye as well.
[21:40] Passes unanimously, 5-0.
[21:42] I don't have.
[21:43] I have a vote.
[21:44] Okay.
[21:45] Good to have a vote.
[21:46] Bye.
[21:47] Yay.
[21:52] And thank you again, guys, for all of your hard work.
[21:55] I think you delivered three really strong candidates.
[21:58] And again, just thank you.
[22:01] Okay, I think next in our agenda, the school committee business,
[22:04] having no additional business other than to adjourn the executive session.
[22:08] Any school committee questions and comments?
[22:10] Seeing none, we'll move on to no other anticipated items within the last 48 hours.
[22:17] I can't even think about the last 48 hours.
[22:20] Amel enter an executive session not to return to open session pursuant to Master Nall,
[22:24] Chapter 30A, paragraph 21A under exemption number two, to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for
[22:30] negotiations with non-union personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-union personnel.
[22:38] Would anyone like to motion?
[22:41] I will make a motion to enter into executive session, not return to open session under exception number two.
[22:47] Second?
[22:48] Motion, a second.
[22:49] Low call will start with me, yes, and we'll go on to Jen.
[22:53] Aye.
[22:54] Viv.
[22:55] Aye.
[22:57] We're in executive session, let's take five or ten minutes before we gather.
[23:03] We want to go.