Last night, the Combined School Comittees vetted their only candidate for Superintendent of the Northborough-Southborough school district. Assistant Superintendent Christine Johnson fielded questions in a public interview.
Johnson was the only applicant through the internally limited search. At the last Combined School Committee meeting, members discussed whether to expand the search or interview Johnson.
The decision to proceed was based partly on the timeframe for replacing outgoing Superintendent Charles Gobron. (He is set to retire in June.)
Members also referred to the importance of having a superintendent familiar with the unique district.
According to The Metrowest Daily News. last night Johnson came with recommendations from several district principals, her former Liecester superintendent, and her current boss:
“It is impossible for me to list in one letter all the contribution Mrs. Johnson has made to our school districts,” Gobron wrote. “I believe her interpersonal skills, her leadership experience, her dedication to instructional issues and her belief that we all need to continually reflect and learn make her an exceptional candidate.”
MWDN, Johnson told the committees that she believes that willingness to listen to the district is a key qualification:
“If we’re not listening, we really can’t be productive or understanding,” Johnson told school committee members from both towns during an interview that lasted about an hour and 15 minutes. . .
“I think there’s a place for a de-escalator in this climate,” she said, adding that a good leader needs to be able to step back and put things in perspective.
The committees will reconvene on Wednesday, March 12 at 6:00 pm. At that time, they will vote on whether or not to promote Johnson to superintendent.
For the full article, including Johnson’s background credentials, click here.
To see the video of last night’s meeting, click here.
