A leader who relishes a challenge

Discussion swirls about a $1.9 million deficit looming in the special-education budget. An activist pleads for more math help for black elementary school students. Several principals outline plans to raise MCAS test scores, but some say it's going to be tough to achieve federal improvement goals.

It's a typically challenging agenda for the School Committee meeting in Framingham. But Superintendent Christopher Martes leads the session with aplomb.

With a base salary of $176,109 and extras that boost his pay to $192,61, Martes is the third-highest-paid superintendent in the western suburbs and the seventh-highest-paid of 162 E astern Massachusetts superintendents surveyed by the Globe. A finalist for the post of Wellesley superintendent, Martes probably will get a raise if he's chosen by that town.

But Framingham residents and officials say Martes, 53, has been earning every penny as he guides the school system during a time of budget belt-tightening and high-stakes testing.

"I think he does a good job," said Ronald Butler , chairman of the Concerned Parents of Color of the Greater Framingham Community Church who attended the meeting to implore Martes to hire math specialists. "The school system has continued to progress under his leadership."

The 12 public schools in Framingham are attended by more than 8,000 students. It's the 16th-largest district in the state.

Martes likes to say the diverse student body reflects the changing face of America. A third of the students are from low-income households. Students hail from 39 countries and many speak a foreign language at home. At the same time, some students head home each night to million-dollar houses.

First and foremost, the cool and polished Martes, who wouldn't seem out of place as a corporate executive, gets credit for keeping politics to a minimum in a job that has become increasingly political.

"He always seems to be upfront with us -- he tells it like it is," said Rosemary Jebari , co president of the Framingham Teachers Association. "We work well with him."

Audrey Hall, a Town Meeting member, said he has earned the respect of her associates, a notoriously tough audience, because he doesn't "sugarcoat" anything and is a "straight shooter."

He's done such a good job that residents are worried about how the schools will fare without him, said Hall, who is also president of the townwide Parent Teacher Organization.

"People right now in town are very, very concerned about him leaving," Hall said, "primarily because he's been a real asset to the community."

Andrew Limeri, a member of the School Committee, described Martes as a "great communicator."

"He's very politically astute," Limeri said. "He's great with parents, the customers of our school system."

Limeri said he's disappointed Martes might be leaving but he doesn't blame him.

"He's really good at what he does. That's probably why Wellesley wants him as much as we do."

Phil Dinsky, another School Committee member, praised Martes, too, but was perplexed by his interest in moving to a wealthier, less-diverse district.

"I'm stunned that after only four years he'd be interested in leaving. . . . I would've thought he'd be taking on greater challenges as his career goes. To be quite honest, I don't see that as a step going forward," Dinsky said.

These are turbulent times to be a superintendent. Schools are under greater scrutiny than ever from parents who want the best for their children. The pressure is on to improve performance on the MCAS statewide achievement tests. At the same time, town finances have been hit hard by rising healthcare and pension costs and stagnant state aid.

Martes started his career teaching fifth grade in his hometown of Foxboro ugh; he was promoted to interim principal when he was 28 years old. He parlayed that into a permanent job as elementary school principal, first in Rye, N.H., and then in Newton.

During a stint as director of personnel for the Brookline schools, he received a doctorate from Boston College. He got his first superintendent job in Medfield in 1995. In 1999, he switched gears and became executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents. Four years later, he landed in Framingham.

Since his arrival , MCAS scores have been mixed. In some grades, the scores have improved, while in others, they've stagnated.

In the fall, six schools were branded as underachieving for failing to make sufficient improvement on their test scores. But the high school has won awards for its improved scores.

In last year's evaluation, the S chool C ommittee praised Martes for high staff morale, solid financial management, smart hiring decisions, and good relations with the community.

Martes believes the key to a successful school district is recruiting talented teachers and shedding those who don't make the grade.

While most schools are content with putting a "help wanted" ad in the newspaper, Framingham goes to job fairs and college campuses, looking for good candidates, he said.

The Center for Education Policy at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst did a study on Framingham because it outperformed its demographics on MCAS scores. The study, released in July, looked for leadership practices that might contribute, noting that Framingham is good at recruiting and, at the other end of the spectrum, "does not hesitate to terminate new teachers who are not meeting its high standards."

"You can't hide here," said Michael Welch, the principal at Framingham High School.

This is one area where Martes and the teachers union clash -- but even in this case, the tone is civil.

Jebari said that with the right support, teachers shouldn't have to be squeezed out, and the union would like to see mentoring and professional development become a higher budget priority.

"We believe that if the school is providing that kind of support, then there's not a problem for the teachers," she said.

At the School Committee meeting, Martes's good rapport with his board was obvious, as he joked with members between agenda items.

Martes doesn't apologize for his salary. He once calculated that out of 180 school days, he was out 83 nights for meetings or other school obligations.

"I could tend bar for 80 nights and make more money," said Martes, who is sometimes surprisingly frank and displays a dry sense of humor.

Martes has said he relishes a challenge and insists there will be new ones if he's picked as Wellesley's superintendent. The district has to decide what to do with the aging high school, he said, and with several retirements coming up, there will be a need to build a leadership team.

"Every community has its challenges," said Martes, bristling at a reporter's question about whether Wellesley would be a less exciting place to work. "I was recruited and asked to apply and thought that it would be an interesting place. It's a very prestigious district."

Lisa Kocian can be reached at 508-820-4231 or at lkocian@globe.com.