Expectations high for new schools chief
Medway's new superintendent of schools will be expected to "hit the ground running" when she takes over the town's top educational post this summer, officials say.
On April 14, the School Committee unanimously selected Judith Evans, currently the assistant superintendent in Shrewsbury's school district, to succeed Richard Grandmont, who plans to retire at the end of the school year.
School Committee chairwoman Susan Connolly called Evans that evening to offer her the job, which she accepted. Negotiations will be underway soon, with July 1 the target starting date, Connolly said.
In reviewing their vote to hire Evans, School Committee members cited her experience, dedication, and leadership abilities as the deciding factors. Evans was away last week and did not return messages seeking a comment on her new position.
"Dr. Evans certainly has a long list of qualifications that suit her for being a superintendent," Connolly wrote in an e-mail. The position Evans has held in Shrewsbury, Connolly wrote, "mirrors the responsibility of a sitting superintendent. Her extensive experience as a central office administrator, leadership skills, development, and management of a school district's budget, and her understanding and experience in curriculum are just a few qualifications that will lend Dr. Evans the ability to be a strong leader in Medway."
Her experience will help limit the learning curve as Evans dives into her new role, School Committee member Debora Trindade said. "Budgeting is always such a critical component of the job, and she's been doing the business end of things all along and had a lot of experience with systemwide budgeting and initiatives that we will be dealing with here," Trindade said. Evans "has a reputation as someone who learns quickly, and the expectation is that someone will have to come in and hit the ground running."
The selection of Evans represents the culmination of a several-months-long process. The School Committee engaged the New England School Development Council to help review the superintendent job description and assist in the search, and held a series of forums aimed at gathering input from school staff, parents, and other interested residents.
A committee met throughout the winter, and by spring had narrowed an initial pool of 10 to 12 applicants down to five for the School Committee to interview.
"A number of these candidates had been interviewing in other places, and we didn't want to be left with no choices at the end of the process," Trindade said.
One applicant, Barbara Dunham, dropped out of the process after being hired to serve as superintendent of the Sharon school district. That left Evans in the running with Susan Horn, assistant superintendent in the Acton-Boxborough Regional district; Winchendon Superintendent Peter Azar; and Northbridge Superintendent Paul Soojian.
Over the past month, the School Committee held a public interview with each of the candidates, quizzing them on their strengths, weaknesses, and what they believed they could bring to the job.
Members of the School Committee also traveled to the candidates' school districts to see them in action and speak to their supervisors and peers.
"We were looking for the final pieces of information on how they are perceived" by those with whom they currently work, Trindade said. "I know I felt I got all of the information I needed."
In the School Committee's April 14 meeting, Evans and Horn emerged as the two favorites for the position. Following some back and forth among committee members, the board voted unanimously to offer the job to Evans.
Shrewsbury's assistant superintendent since 2002, Evans previously served as Lynnfield High School's principal.
