Left In Lowell

The Sun has posted on their web site the resumes of the semi-finalists as selected by the School Superintendent Screening Committee, chaired by former Mayor and City Councilor Eileen Donoghue.

Eight of the 21 individuals who applied were selected but two have already withdrawn their names, so the semi-finalist contains 6 names. The Screening Committee will now interview them and recommend 5 of them to the School Committee for the final list. The School Committee reserved the right to add any of the names that did not make the short list. By the way, two of the six semi-finalists also have applied for positions in other communities and two others are already employees of the Lowell School Department.

Here is the Screening Committee’s semi-final list:

Portia Selene Bonner, Asst Supt. of Curriculum and Instruction, Hamden (CT) Schools

Katherine Darlington, Superintendent of Pittsfield (MA) Public Schools

Wendy Jack, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Lowell High School

Jamie Ortega, Asst Supt., Boston (MA) Public Schools

Chris Augusta Scott, Superintendent of Schools, Norfolk (MA)

Paul Schlictman, Coordinator of Research, Testing and Assessment, Lowell Public
Schools

All of these individuals started their professional career as classroom teachers. As a group they reflect a wide variety of experience and accomplishments. Although the semi-finalist may be small by some standards, the diversity of the candidates should make up for that. Now if one or two drop out before the process is finished, then we may have a problem.

Although I have selected a couple of favorites based on their resumes, I will wait until the all-important interview process is completed before I begin to decide.

The public interviews (1 ¼ hour per candidate) will take place next week at LHS’ Little Theater next week. Although the whole process will be filmed, I am not sure if and when it will be broadcast.

The story in yesterday’s Sun on the selection was written by Chris Scott. I think that is a good omen. I hope he continues to cover the selection of the School Superintendent, not that the other reporters wouldn’t do a good job, but Scott has the political acumen necessary to give us the story behind the story.