Raymond V. Mariano: Some advice for our new Worcester school superintendent

Selecting a superintendent to lead the school system is arguably a school committee’s most important job. If they get it right, the ride can be exciting and rewarding. If they get it wrong, it can be a car wreck. I’m hoping they got it right.

The whole thing got off to a rocky start. First, the mayor tried to quietly force the current superintendent, Maureen Binienda, out. When she refused to go quietly, the School Committee voted, in public, not to extend her contract. It was uncomfortable to watch.

Then as the committee got ready to start their search, School Committee member Tracy O’Connell Novick publicly pronounced there wasn’t a single candidate currently employed by the Worcester school system who was up to the job.

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Now, we’ve all gotten used to O’Connell Novick descending from on high with her pronouncements etched into stone tablets. But this one was a bit much.

It probably didn’t make much difference to the actual search because this School Committee was likely to select an out-of-town candidate anyway. Nevertheless, her comments were insensitive and hurtful.

First, out of the dozens of principals and administrators in the school system, surely there was a handful that deserved some consideration. Perhaps no one from Worcester would have made the final cut, but announcing that they weren’t up to the job, before a single application was even received, was wrongheaded.

Second, her words were demoralizing to the hard working men and women who have devoted themselves to educating our children. Her words struck a chord; their service, no matter how exemplary, didn’t matter and their ideas didn’t count.

I’ve worked with and observed seven different superintendents in Worcester. The two finest — John Durkin and Jim Garvey — were products of the WPS. They were leaders who knew the system, the staff, and the parents and used that knowledge to lead effectively.

Conversely, the least effective superintendent came from another state with no knowledge of Worcester. And she left in a few short years never having gotten to know the staff, the students or what the school system needed.

Certainly, an outsider has advantages — fresh eyes and an outside perspective — that can help a school system improve. But to completely discount everyone who currently works in Worcester is counterproductive to say the least.

That aside, School Committee member Molly McCullough deserves credit for guiding a 20 member committee through the process to the point where several solid candidates were presented to the full School Committee for a final vote.

To our new superintendent, I offer some advice.

Stay a few minutes

When I looked at the four finalists, one fact stuck out — most of them have spent the last decade or more constantly looking for their next job. One of the finalists had worked for six different school systems over the past 11 years. That’s less than two years per job.

Another candidate had worked for five school systems over the same period. And a third had worked for three systems during that time. Certainly, it’s fair that someone is looking to be promoted and wants to advance their professional career.

But given that a search for a top school administrator can take up to six months, these candidates barely had time to get the seat behind their desk warm before they starting buffing up their resumes looking to go elsewhere.

So, my first bit of advice is to stay long enough to make a difference — or at least long enough to learn the difference between Posner Square and Newton Square.

Ask for advice and then listen

Despite O’Connell Novick’s pronouncement, the people who know the most about the school system’s strengths and weaknesses are the people in the trenches doing the work. Take the time to ask them for their thoughts, listen to their advice, and then act on it.

When I became executive director of the Worcester Housing Authority, I told the Board of Commissioners that I needed a month to prepare for the new job. Then I spent that time visiting with most of the employees, one at a time, asking for their advice. I used what they told me to develop a plan of action and then spent the next few years making it happen.

This approach has two advantages. First, you get answers to what needs to be fixed and how that might be accomplished. Second, given that many people will tell you a version of the same thing, if you incorporate any of their suggestions into your plan, the staff will see themselves — their advice — in your action plan and they will become invested in the results.

Our new superintendent should use the time between now and July 1 to reach out to staff. Spend May and June, until school gets out for the year, visiting schools and chatting with teachers individually and in small groups. Take the time to talk to custodial staff, food service staff, clerical staff, and others to get their advice.

And hold meetings with parents in as many schools as you can to get their take on what we need to do.

The last out-of-town superintendent never took the time to do anything like this. And the results speak for themselves.

Many of the answers you will seek are right there for the asking. Don’t waste even a minute. By the time you start your new job on July 1, the schools will be out of session and you’ll be amazed at how much time you’ll be spending looking for bus drivers.

Email Raymond V. Mariano at rmariano.telegram@gmail.com. He served four terms as mayor of Worcester and previously served on the City Council and School Committee. He grew up in Great Brook Valley and holds degrees from Worcester State College and Clark University. He was most recently executive director of the Worcester Housing Authority. His column appears weekly in the Sunday Telegram.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Some advice for our new Worcester MA school superintendent