Our interim superintendent and a couple of School Committee members put together a clear, concise, and thorough report on the different options for superintendent of Harvard Public Schools. I think it was due diligence on their part and I thank them for their efforts.
As a parent who has been extremely involved in the schools and town for seven-plus years, I feel strongly that we should keep the same model that we currently have: a full-time superintendent for the Harvard Public Schools, and only the Harvard Public Schools. I do not think any of the options offer a big enough savings to justify the cost.
In regards to a union model, I feel that we would put at risk some of the things that are working well in Harvard Public Schools. I very much value food services director Chef Paul Correnty and facilities manager Mark Force, in particular, and would not want to jeopardize our relationship with these talented men in order to save (or earn) a little money for the schools. I feel that we would be asking too much of them and would be stretching them too thin. I believe the quality of services that we currently receive would most likely suffer.
In regards to the part-time model, I think that Harvard parents and teachers set high standards and have expectations of our superintendent that would not be met by a part-time model. I feel that there are always new situations that we will be presented with that will require a full-time superintendent.
I don’t even feel the need to speak toward the superintendent/principal model.
I urge the School Committee not to shortchange our schools and let’s get to work hiring a wonderful, new, long-term, full-time superintendent. Now’s the time to post for a new superintendent. Let’s get to it!
Deb Barton
Stow Road
