Committee names 4 finalists for schools’ top post

School superintendents in Norwood, Douglas, and Marshfield, and an assistant superintendent in Brookline have been named as finalists to replace outgoing Canton Superintendent Dr. John D’Auria following a comprehensive search and screening process that drew 19 total applicants.

Cindy Thomas, chair of the 12-member Superintendent Screening Committee, made the announcement Thursday night at the School Committee meeting. The finalists are Jeffery Granatino, Nancy Lane, Dr. Middleton McGoodwin, and Dr. Anne Wilson.

Thomas said the screening committee interviewed nine candidates before recommending these four for public interviews. The School Committee will conduct the interviews next Tuesday and Thursday in the Distance Learning Lab at Canton High School and will announce its selection the following Thursday, April 1.

The interview schedule is as follows: Wilson, March 23, 6-7:30 p.m.; Granatino, March 23, 8-9:15 p.m.; Lane, March 25, 6-7:30 p.m.; and McGoodwin, March 25, 7:45-9:15 p.m.

Each of the finalists were also scheduled to visit the Galvin Middle School Library this week, beginning with Wilson on Wednesday and followed by Granatino this afternoon, McGoodwin on Friday, and Lane on Monday, March 22.

Thomas said the visits, which run from 2:20-3:15 and 3:30-4:15 p.m., “provide an important opportunity for our community to share our many strengths with the candidates and to learn more about each of them.” A feedback form will also be available at each session to allow parents, staff, and community members to share their perspective of the candidate with the School Committee.

In a statement released last week, Thomas thanked the 11 other screening committee members for their work in selecting the four finalists.

“They devoted a tremendous amount of time to the screening process,” she said, “and the School Committee greatly appreciates their commitment to our school community.”

In addition to Thomas, the committee included Robin Billing, director of curriculum and instruction; Robert Burr, selectman; Heather Cahill; Barbara Carbone, JFK fourth grade teacher; Doug Dias, CHS principal; Michelle Dixon, parent; Shari Goldstein; Jennifer Henderson, JFK principal; Ken Leon, school business manager; Bob McCarthy; Ann McLean-Muse, GMS speech/language specialist; Katey Swanson, CHS wellness teacher; Sara Teague, CHS student; and Kaitlyn Wroblewski, Luce fourth grade teacher.

Granatino began as an English and social studies teacher in the Hingham and Hull school systems before being named the vice principal and athletic director at Scituate High School. He has also served as vice principal of Milton High School and principal of Bridgewater-Raynham High School and is currently enrolled in a doctoral program at Northeastern University.

Lane has been the Douglas superintendent since 2006, and prior to that she held administrative positions in the Brookline, Foxborough, and West Bridgewater school systems, serving as an assistant superintendent and director of special education. She has a master’s degree and a certificate of advanced graduate studies from Bridgewater State College.

McGoodwin was a science and math teacher at Whitman Middle School before being promoted as the school’s principal. He went on to become the assistant superintendent in Marshfield and was named the superintendent in 2005. He holds a doctorate in education from California Coast University.

Wilson, who holds a doctorate from Boston College, began her career as a math teacher in Alamo, California, and later became the assistant principal of a middle school in San Ramon, California. She then became principal of a middle school in Danville, California, before coming to Brookline, where she has served as assistant superintendent for human resources since 2008.

In other School Department news:

The School Committee unanimously approved more than $675,000 worth of “less painful” cuts in the FY2011 operating budget but still has to come up with another $705,000 in order to close a near $1.4 million projected shortfall.

“This is where I think we get into the real hell,” said Chairman Reuki Schutt, referring to the next round of cuts, which could include several staff reductions and the elimination of three high school sports.

However, Schutt also mentioned the possibility of going to town meeting and asking voters to stave off the other cuts with additional funds — a suggestion that was supported by her colleagues as well as the superintendent.

Another idea Schutt proposed to potentially save classroom teachers was to eliminate department head stipends, at least temporarily, beginning with the middle school and then perhaps the high school if necessary. But D’Auria argued strongly against the idea, insisting that the Canton schools are in need of more leadership, not less, and that even a few years without someone to “paint a collective target of what excellence looks like” could result in a “slow erosion” of quality that would be difficult to recover from.

Meanwhile, to close the first half of the budget gap, the committee used a mix of reductions, fee hikes, and projected savings, all of which were recommended by D’Auria. Among the notable cuts was the elimination of one custodian, one bus, one math teacher position, several cash capital earmarks, and most of the substitute teachers at the high school.

The committee also voted to bring back two new user fees — a bus fee for students in grades seven through 12 and a high school parking fee — and raise the athletic user fee by $25.

The sports that were mentioned for possible elimination, but not yet voted on, were gymnastics, golf, and boys’ and girls’ swimming.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Mar 18 2010. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.