Amherst Regional school officials had no choice except to delay to September the search for a new superintendent.
Faced with a violation of state law by an application process that included inappropriate questions about candidates’ criminal backgrounds, the Amherst-Pelham Regional and Union 26 school committees voted unanimously last week to abandon the current search.
The school boards, which oversee the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools and the four elementary schools in Amherst and Pelham, could not afford the possibility of legal action resulting from the faulty questions that could have indefinitely delayed the search. Already on a tight timeline in an effort to have a new superintendent start work by July 1, school committee members correctly decided not to rush the process.
Moreover, the fall is generally considered the best time of year to get the maximum number of superintendent candidates. Katherine Appy, who until Tuesday’s election was an Amherst representative to the regional school committee, said resuming the search later this year would allow the largest qualified pool and attract the best candidates. “I think any rushed process is not going to be welcomed by the community,” she added.
Now Amherst Regional school officials must demand a full accounting by their consultant, Ray and Associates Executive Leadership Search, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, about how the flawed questions became part of the application.
In particular, the consultant needs to explain why it apparently disregarded advice by Human Resources Director Kathryn Mazur that the state’s anti-discrimination law would be violated by asking questions about arrests that did not result in a conviction or about first convictions for certain misdemeanors. So far, the consultant has not provided a public explanation.
School officials should continue using the Iowa firm only if they are convinced there will be no more missteps, and receive a guarantee that the consultant will not charge more than the original $17,000 fee.
Meanwhile, with a new permanent superintendent unlikely to start work until 2018, school committee members must address who will be the interim leader of the schools after July 1. Michael Morris was appointed acting superintendent, and then the interim school chief, after Maria Geryk, departed in August. Morris said earlier this month he would not be a candidate for the permanent job and planned to return to his position as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
We hope that Morris will agree to stay on as interim superintendent through 2017 to ensure the smoothest possible transition.
