Community Feedback Wanted about Consideration of Superintendent Appointment

Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee and Union 26 Committee Statement on Consideration of Permanent Appointment of Interim Superintendent Dr. Michael Morris

The Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee and Union 26 School Committee voted at their September 6th meeting to consider the appointment of Interim Superintendent Michael Morris to the post of permanent Superintendent of Schools.

“At the end of the summer, the chairs learned that Interim Superintendent Morris had reconsidered his interest in being a candidate to be permanent superintendent,” said Eric Nakajima, Chair of the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee. “Given his strong track record as Interim superintendent, the committees felt it worth exploring his appointment through a process that offers extensive opportunities for public discussion and input.”

"Many community members, educators and staff have approached us in recent months to express their interest in our discussion of this topic, and to express their support for Dr. Morris's work this past year," said Anastasia Ordonez, Chair of the Union 26 School Committee. "He's worked hard for our district and shown an ability to deftly manage district budgets, community needs, and student achievement. We're looking forward to formally considering his candidacy."

The committees have scheduled a discussion to officially consider the appointment at the September 26th joint Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee and Union 26 meeting with a vote anticipated at either that meeting or on October 10th. The Committees expressed a strong interest in robust public engagement and input into the decision prior to taking that vote. Interim Superintendent Michael Morris will make a presentation at the September 26th meeting that will respond, in part, to questions submitted by the public and the school committees.

The Committees plan extended public comment periods at the beginning of both the September 12th and September 26th school committee meetings to be held at the Amherst Regional High School Library beginning at 6:30 PM.

Please provide the School Committee feedback on the potential appointment of Dr. Morris as permanent Superintendent. We welcome your questions or topics that may be included in a future presentation by Dr. Morris on September 26. The deadline for submissions is September 19. Please email schoolcommittee@arps.org.

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Comité de la Escuela Regional de Amherst-Pelham y Unión 26 Declaración del Comité sobre la Consideración de la Nombramiento Permanente del Superintendente Interino Dr. Michael Morris

El Comité Escolar Regional de Amherst-Pelham y el Comité Escolar de la Unión 26 votaron en su reunión del 6 de septiembre para considerar el nombramiento del Superintendente Interino Michael Morris al puesto de Superintendente de Escuelas Permanente.

"Al final del verano, los presidentes de comités escolares se enteraron que el superintendente interino Morris había cambiado de opinión y estaba interesado en ser candidato superintendente permanente", dijo Eric Nakajima, Presidente del Comité Escolar Regional de Amherst-Pelham. "Dado su sólido historial como Superintendente Interino, los comités consideraron que valía la pena explorar su nombramiento a través de un proceso que ofrece amplias oportunidades para la discusión pública y el aporte".

"Muchos miembros de la comunidad, educadores y el personal se han acercado a nosotros en los últimos meses para expresar su interés en nuestra discusión de este tema, y para expresar su apoyo a la obra del Dr. Morris el año pasado", dijo Anastasia Ordonez, Presidenta del Comité Escolar de la Unión 26. "Ha trabajado duro para nuestro distrito y ha demostrado su habilidad para manejar hábilmente los presupuestos del distrito, las necesidades de la comunidad y el logro de los estudiantes, y estamos deseando considerar formalmente su candidatura".

Los comités han programado una discusión para considerar oficialmente el nombramiento en conjunto el Comité Escolar Regional Amherst-Pelham y la Unión 26 en la reunión del 26 de septiembre con una votación anticipada ya sea en esa reunión o en la del 10 de octubre. Los Comités expresaron un gran interés en una participación pública sólida y contribución en la decisión antes de tomar esa votación. El superintendente interino Michael Morris hará una presentación en la reunión del 26 de septiembre que responderá, en parte, a las preguntas presentadas por el público y los comités escolares.

Los comités planifican extender los periodos de comentarios públicos al comienzo de las reuniones de comité escolar los días 12 de septiembre y 26 de septiembre, que se llevarán a cabo en la Biblioteca de la Escuela Regional de Amherst comenzando a las 6:30 PM.

Proporcione al Comité Escolar comentarios sobre la posible designación del Dr. Morris como Superintendente Permanente. Damos la bienvenida a sus preguntas o temas que pueden ser incluidos en una presentación futura por el Dr. Morris el 26 de septiembre. La fecha límite para las presentaciones es el 19 de septiembre. Por favor envíe un correo electrónico a schoolcommittee@arps.org.

Dr. Michael Morris Appointed Interim Superintendent for 2017-2018 School Year

Eric Nakajima, Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee Chair, and Anastasia Ordonez, Union 26 School Committee Chair, are pleased to announce that the committees have voted to extend the appointment of Dr. Michael Morris as Interim Superintendent of the Amherst, Pelham and Regional Schools for the 2017-2018 school year.  The unanimous vote of both committees occurred at a joint meeting held on Tuesday, April 4, 2017, and the vote is contingent upon successful contract negotiations between Dr. Morris and the School Committees. 

A 16-year veteran in the districts, Morris began his work in the district as a 5th and 6th grade teacher at Fort River Elementary School. He then became the principal of Crocker Farm Elementary School before moving into district administration first as Director of Evaluation and Assessment and then as Assistant Superintendent.  Morris was appointed Interim Superintendent in September 2016.

“The committee is grateful to Dr. Morris for his steady leadership over the past year,” said Eric Nakajima, “he is a gifted educational leader and we are looking forward to a full academic year in which he can work with us, the staff and community to advance our mission of educational excellence for all students.”

Dr. Morris holds a Bachelor's degree from Amherst College, a Master's and CAGS from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and a Doctoral degree from Boston College. His work on Educator Evaluation has been profiled as one of the four exemplary districts in the state by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. He has also presented at statewide conferences on a variety of topics for the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the Massachusetts Elementary Principals' Association, DESE's Spring Convening on Educator Evaluation, as well as others. 

“I have enjoyed the opportunity to serve as Interim Superintendent and to work collaboratively with the School Committees and the outstanding faculty and staff of our districts on behalf of our students,” Morris stated.  “I look forward to continuing that work for another year.” 

"Teachers, parents, staff and community leaders have repeatedly expressed their enthusiastic support for Dr. Morris's work so far, and I'm pleased that the Committees voted to have him continue as Interim Superintendent for the next academic year," said Ms. Ordonez. "Dr. Morris is a steady and collaborative leader who is committed to the excellence of all our students, and we are grateful for his many years of service to this community and school district."

Superintendent Search Screening Committee

The Superintendent Search Screening Committee has been finalized. The membership list is available online: www.arps.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=926815&pageId=8754089

Survey Regarding Superintendent Search ends Monday, January 30 at noon

FROM: Eric Nakajima, Chair of the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee, Anastasia Ordonez, Chair of the Union 26 School Committee

RE: Survey Regarding Superintendent Search

The Amherst, Pelham and Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools are in the process of seeking a permanent Superintendent of Schools to serve our communities.  A contractor, Ray and Associates, Inc., will support this process and conduct the national search.  Feedback from all stakeholder groups is essential to ensure we invite candidates who reflect the qualities and characteristics most valued by our communities.

Community members are invited to complete the online survey available here.  Results of the survey will be compiled by Ray and Associates, Inc. and shared with the Amherst-Pelham Regional and Union 26 School Committees.  The deadline for completing the survey is Monday, January 30, 2017 at 12:00 p.m..

DE: Eric Nakajima, Presidente del Comité Escolar Regional de Amherst-Pelham, Anastasia Ordóñez, Presidenta del Comité Escolar de la Unión 26

RE: Encuesta sobre la búsqueda del superintendente

Las Escuelas Regionales de Amherst, Pelham y Amherst-Pelham están en proceso de buscar un Superintendente de Escuelas Permanente para servir a nuestras comunidades. Un contratista, Ray and Associates, Inc., apoyará este proceso y llevar a cabo la búsqueda a nivel nacional. La retroalimentación de todos los grupos de interesados es esencial para asegurar que invitamos a candidatos que reflejen las cualidades y características más valoradas por nuestras comunidades.

Los miembros de la comunidad están invitados a completar la encuesta en línea disponible aquí. Los resultados de la encuesta serán compilados por Ray and Associates, Inc. y compartidos con los Comités Regionales de Amherst-Pelham y Unión 26. La fecha límite para completar la encuesta es el lunes, 30 de enero de 2017 medio dia.

Superintendent Search Consultant Outreach Meetings POSTPONED

from ARPS Central office:

Due to a winter storm forecast for Monday that may impact travel, Dr. Michael Rush, Superintendent Search Consultant, has moved the dates of next week’s focus groups to Wednesday, January 25 and Thursday, January 26.  He and the district want to ensure that as many stakeholders as possible have an opportunity to share their thoughts about what qualities, skills, and experience the School Committees should consider as they seek a permanent Superintendent of Schools.   

Although the date and some meeting locations are changed, the meeting times for each constituency group are unchanged. Parents and guardians are now scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 25th in the Amherst Regional Middle School Library. The full schedule of meetings is attached.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Focus Groups Schedule 

Debido a una tormenta de invierno pronosticada para el lunes que puede afectar en los viajes, el Dr. Michael Rush, Consultor de Búsqueda del Superintendente, ha movido las fechas de los grupos de enfoque de la próxima semana para el miércoles, 25 de enero y jueves, 26 de enero. Tanto el como el distrito desean asegurar que el mayor número de participantes posible tengan la oportunidad de compartir sus pensamientos acerca de las cualidades, habilidades y experiencia que los Comités Escolares deben considerar cuando buscan un Superintendente de Escuelas permanente. 

A pesar de que la fecha y algunos lugares de reunión cambiaran, los horarios de reunión para cada grupo de electores no se han modificado.  Se adjunta el calendario completo de reuniones. Los padres y encargados están programados para las 6:30 p.m. el miércoles, 25 de enero en la Biblioteca de la Escuela Intermedia Regional de Amherst.

Nos disculpamos por cualquier inconveniente.

Superintendent Search News

Maria Geryk's visit and interview for the position of Superintendent of Schools have been postponed to Thursday, February 3, with an interview at 6 pm in the ARHS library.

The decision for selecting the superintendent will be made on Sunday, February 6. The Joint Meeting of Union 26 and Regional School Committees will take place from 1 to 3 pm at Town Hall, Amherst.

The interviews of the other two finalists, John Bayliss and Gerald Kohn are being aired on the education channel of ACTV. Click here for the schedule. 

You can also view the evening interviews online by going to the following webpage: http://www.actvamherst.com/.

Revised Schedule for Superintendent Candidate Interviews

Visits by two of the three finalists for the position of School Superintendent have already taken place this week. The visit and interview of Maria Geryk has been rescheduled to Tues., Feb. 1st.

The schedule for that day is as follows (events open to the public are in bold):

8:00 am to 9:00 am - Coffee with parents/community in the ARMS cafeteria

9:00 am to 9:30 am - Central office welcome and quick tour 9:30 am to 10:30 am - Administrators/ Superintendent's Council

10:30 am to noon - Tour of ARMS/ARHS (by principals)

Noon to 1:00 pm - lunch with chairs of Pelham and Amherst School Committees

1:00 pm to 2:30 pm - Tour of elementary schools

2:30 pm to 3:30 pm - Reception with parents/community members at Wildwood

3:45 pm to 4:45 pm - Meeting with teachers at ARMS Library

4:45 pm to 5:45 pm - Dinner

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm - School Committee interview (ARHS Library)--Open to the public.

Discussion and Selection of New Superintendent of Schools will take place on Sunday, February 6 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Location to be determined.

Meeting with Superintendent Search Firm Today at Fort River library, 1pm.

There will be a meeting this afternoon (Thurs. Oct. 28) in the Fort River School library at 1:00pm with a representative from the search firm in charge of the Superintendent search. This meeting is for the members of the Fort River School Council and PGO. It is intended to provide the search firm consultant with information about the views of the School Council and PGO membership regarding the district’s current strengths and challenges, as well as to gather suggestions about the qualities and characteristics that the district should seek in its superintendent.

All Fort River Parents/Guardians are invited to attend.

Updated Schedule for Superintendent Candidates Visits

The Superintendents office has rescheduled the visit of Dr. Alberto Rodriguez to Monday Feb. 23rd and Tuesday Feb. 24th. (The first days back from February vacation.) The Parent Groups of all four elementary schools will be offering limited babysitting for children age 4 or older during each of the evening events. Please make use of these services only if necessary. Also, please note that according to the full schedule of events for each candidate, there will also be a "Drop-in lunch with Parents/School Councils/PTOs" held on the second day of each visit at the High School cafeteria from 11:30am to 12:30pm. This is another chance for you to meet informally with each of the candidates. Here is the updated schedule of public events.

Candidate: Dr. Isabelina Rodriguez

Public Forum

Date: Monday, February 9, 2009 Time: 7-8:30pm Location: Amherst Regional High School Library

Community Breakfast

Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 Time: 8-9am Location: Amherst Regional Middle School Cafeteria

Candidate: Dr. David Sklarz

Public Forum

Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Time: 7-8:30pm Location: Amherst Regional High School Library

Community Breakfast

Date: Thursday, February 12, 2009 Time: 8-9am Location: Amherst Regional Middle School Cafeteria

Candidate: Dr. Alberto Rodriguez

Public Forum

Date: Monday, February 23, 2009 Time: 7-8:30pm Location: Amherst Regional High School Library

Community Breakfast

Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 Time: 8-9am Location: Amherst Regional Middle School Cafeteria

Superintendent Visit Postponed

Due to a death in his immediate family, the visit of Superintendent finalist Dr. Alberto Rodriguez scheduled for February 4th and 5th has been postponed. Details of the rescheduled visit will be posted as soon as they become available. Link to Amherst Regional Public Schools website

Superintendent Search

School Committee Member Catherine Sanderson announced at the last Parent Council meeting that finalists for the job of school superintendent will be in town for interviews during the first two weeks of February. The finalists will visit the district and participate in building tours, meetings with administrators, staff, and students, and evening public forums. I will update this website with any more information as soon as I receive it. You may also want to periodically check this link to the Superintendent's website for more information.

Superintendent of Schools Search Process--Don't Forget!

The Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee cordially invites all parents/guardians to participate as focus group members to support the: SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS SEARCH PROCESS Please come and share your views and ideas about what is most important to look for in our next Superintendent of Schools. Monday, September 15, 2008 6:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. at Amherst Regional High School Library All district parents/guardians are encouraged to participate. 7:15 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. School Councils and PTO members at ARHS Library Tuesday, September 16, 2008 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. at Bang’s Center Anti-Racism Community Groups/Individuals 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Jones Library All Community Members and Citizens 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. at School District Central Office Parents/Guardians of Special Education Students 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at High School Library Parents/Guardians of English Language Learners 7 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at HS Library Public Forum for Parents, Guardians, and Community Members Jacqueline Roy of J.A. Roy Associates, who is assisting the Committee in conducting the search for a new Superintendent, will facilitate the forums. Please call Kathryn Mazur, HR Director, Amherst-Pelham Regional School District at 362-1803 if you would like further information about the Superintendent Search process. You may also check the school district website, www.arps.org, for updates as the search progresses.

Amherst School Superintendent Search

Principal Sharick asked me to share the following with you. Please see the entry below this one for the full schedule of meetings with community groups.

AMHERST-PELHAM REGIONAL SCHOOLS 170 CHESTNUT STREET AMHERST, MA 01002 413/362-1810 413/549-6108 (FAX) Office of Human Resources September 5, 2008 RE: Amherst School District Superintendent Search Dear School Council and PTO Members, As you may be aware, a consultant, Jacqueline Roy of J.A. Roy Associates, has been hired to assist the Regional School Committee in the search process for a new Superintendent of Schools to begin his/her work in July 2009 or sooner. Ms. Roy will begin her work by helping define the qualities, skills and experience that the public is looking for in a superintendent. To accomplish this critical task, Ms. Roy will be meeting with approximately 20 groups representing a broad range of constituencies within the district. I have scheduled a focus group with Ms. Roy and School Councils and PTOs on Monday, September 15 at 7:15 p.m. at the High School Library. The meeting is intended to provide the consultant with information about the district’s current strengths and challenges, as well as to gather suggestions about the qualities and characteristics that the district should seek in its superintendent, as indicated above. I hope that the assigned date and time are convenient for you. Please contact me at 362-1803 or by e-mail at mazurk@arps.org if you have any questions about the scheduled meeting. In addition to the group meetings, Ms. Roy will hold other public meetings as per the attached schedule to which you are also invited. We appreciate your participation in this important endeavor. Sincerely, Kathryn Mazur Human Resources Director