Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/category/schools/page/137/)
The discussion for hiring the an interim superintendent for the Watertown Public Schools will continue on Monday, Sept. 29. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. in the Watertown High School Auditorium. The School Committee will discuss the qualifications wanted for an interim superintendent to replace Jean Fitzgerald, who is retiring in October. On Sept.
The Watertown Special Education Parent Advisory Council will host the district’s new special education director during a public meeting on Sept. 28. Watertown SEPAC sent out the following information:
The Watertown SEPAC meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at the Phillips School Conference Room, 30 Common St., from 6-8 p.m.
This meeting will be an informal coffee with our new Director of Special Education, Kathleen Desmarais. Bring your kids – child care, beverages and fresh baked goods will be provided.
The Watertown Public Schools will go through two superintendent searches this school year – an interim and a permanent replacement – but the timeline for the searches remains up in the air.
Monday night, the School Committee discussed their game plan for replacing Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald, who is retiring in the beginning of October. The search for an interim superintendent will start immediately, while process of finding a permanent replacement will begin in late November or early December, said School Committee Chairman John Portz. The School Committee came close to just having one search for the permanent superintendent. Member Eileen Hsu-Balzer said she would feel more comfortable focusing on that search and have the current administrators run the district rather than someone brought in for the school year. “I question the idea of even having an interim.”
Monday night, the School Committee will hold a special meeting to discuss the hiring process for two top positions in the Watertown Public Schools Administration. Last week, Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald announced her retirement beginning in October. On Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. the School Committee will discuss the process of hiring an interim superintendent and a permanent replacement for Fitzgerald. That night, the School Committee will also discuss hiring a new school business manager after Charles Kellner also announced his retirement.
An event will be held to raise money to send Watertown eighth-graders on their annual trip to Washington, D.C.
A cocktail party will be held at The Plumbers Museum, 80 Rosedale Road, Watertown, on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016 from 7-9 p.m. Catering to be provided by La Bonne Maisonhere, and there will be a cash bar. The event is Sponsored by the Watertown Democratic Town Committee. Suggested Contributions: $30 Guest, $100 Host (Not Tax Deductable)
All funds raised will go to the WDTC Carver Scholarship Fund
RSVP by ordering your tickets now! Get tickets at the group’s Facebook page (click here). For more information contact watertowndems@gmail.com or call 617-610-0402
To the Editor of Watertown News,
I was very disappointed to hear the news that our school superintendent, Dr. Jean Fitzgerald, has decided to retire. In her letter to the community, Dr. Fitzgerald explained she was ready to start a new chapter in her life. But from my perspective, it seems she was driven out of her position by a negative and unsupportive environment. With Dr. Fitzgerald’s retirement, we have lost a passionate advocate for our children, and a deeply knowledgeable educator who understands the complexities of teaching and learning. We as a community need to ask ourselves why we allowed our kids, and the teachers, staff, and administrators who are educating our kids, to lose the benefit of such a leader.
MIWith the unexpected announcement that Watertown Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald will be retiring, parents, teachers and others already began worrying about who will come in to fill her shoes. Fitzgerald made the announcement at Monday night’s School Committee, saying she will be stepping down in early October. “Each new school year represents a fresh start and an opportunity to explore new challenges. We reflect on what we have accomplished, set new goals, and begin the work required to moved forward,” Fitzgerald said. “As this school year begins, I have decided to make such a change in my own career as an educator.
School Committee Chairman John Portz and I made up the school committee negotiating team for this new 3-year contract. We would like to thank WEA President Deb King and the members of the union negotiating team for enabling an honest and thoughtful process. And, thank you to the Superintendent, Business Manager and HR Director for their invaluable participation. As with any collective bargaining agreement, this one includes compromises by both parties, and in that context, I feel this contract has allowed us to tackle a number of important issues around school schedule, parental engagement, time on learning, and compensation. Strong parental involvement is part of the foundation of any high quality educational system.