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| Superintendent Search in Final Stages |
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The process to select a new Superintendent of the
Wellesley Public Schools is in the
final stages. The process started last December,
when the application period was opened. Any
interested candidates needed to submit a completed
application by January 13th. A total of 16 completed
applications were received.
The Credentials Review Committee,
comprised of eight members of the town, including
two School Committee members, reviewed the
applications and recommended six candidates to the
entire School Committee for additional review and
personal interview.
From those six, School Committee selected
two finalists. Up to that point, the process was
conducted in confidence, out of consideration for the
candidates.
Next steps: The two finalists, Bella Wong and
Christopher Martes, will
each be interviewed in a day-long session with
principals, teachers, administrators, WHS students,
town residents and town officials. Following these
interviews, School Committee will select a candidate
and prepare an offer of employment.
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| The Finalist Candidates |
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Dr. Christopher Martes is currently the
Superintendent of the Framingham Public Schools.
Previously, he has served as the Superintendent of
the Medfield Public Schools, held elementary school
Principal positions in Foxborough, Rye (NH) and
Newton, and is the Executive Director of the
Massachusetts School Superintendents' Association.
Dr. Martes holds a BS and EdM from Bridgewater
State College and a Ph.D. from Boston College.
Dr. Martes has been in his current position
as Superintendent of the Framingham Public Schools
for 3 years.
Ms. Bella Wong is currently the
Assistant Superintendent of Schools for the Wellesley
Public Schools. Previously, she served as a Science
Department Coordinator and science instructor at
Lincoln-Sudbury High School. Ms. Wong has served
as President of the Lincoln-Sudbury Teachers
Association and as a member of the Weston School
Committee. She holds a JD degree from the
University of California at Davis and a EdM from
Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Ms. Wong has been in her current position as
Assistant Superintendent of the Wellesley Public
Schools for a total of 7 years.
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| Public Sessions |
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The public is invited to participate in the final selection
process in open sessions on Tuesday, February 13th
with Dr. Martes and on Wednesday, February 14th with
Ms. Wong. Both sessions will be from 7:00 - 8:00 pm
in the Wellesley High School library.
Each session will include a brief introduction
of the candidate and his/her background, followed by
a question and answer period. Comment cards will
be available for those interested in providing comment
about the candidates to School Committee.
If the WPS is closed due to snow on
Wednesday, the session will be re-scheduled to
Thursday, February 15th at 7:00pm.
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| The Final Word |
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The search for a superintendent was anticipated to be
a challenge given the competitive climate state-wide
for top candidates. The controversy last
week over the decision by School Committee to select
only two finalist candidates further
demonstrates the high stakes and expectations of our
town in selecting our leaders.
We as a community deliberately place the
burden of decision on our elected officials and the
decision process is defined in detail. We must
respect the process or ultimately change it.
School Committee is working earnestly to
select a superintendent who will be able to effectively:
- promote academic excellence
- articulate a vision for the future
- lead a $50 million organization
- attract and retain high-quality staff and
teachers
- manage a nine building physical plant
- facilitate a major public construction project
- work collaboratively with town
officials
The WPS needs our next superintendent to
lead the system into the next decade. That person will
need the support of teachers, staff, parents, town
residents and officials working together to achieve our
common goals.
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For additional information, archived
editions of this newsletter, and links to relevant town
and state websites, please visit our website at
www.committee
21.org.
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Committee for Education in the 21st
Century
