Williamstown Elementary Seeks Public Help In Principal Hiring
 Superintendent of schools Rose Ellis has the final say in hiring the new elementary school principal but she wants the community to help. |
Superintendent of schools Rose Ellis will be asking the community Tuesday night what it wants in a principal to help guide the 11-member search committee.
The meeting, in place of the Parent Teacher Organization meeting, will give the search committee a wider view when hiring current Principal Steven Johnson's replacement. Johnson announced his retirement in December.
"They're basically focus groups. I get a broader perspective," Ellis, who makes the final decisions, said on Monday. "It's an opportunity to hear from the community."
Ellis held a meeting Monday to receive input from teachers and will use that and results from Tuesday's meeting to direct the search committee while reviewing resumes.
The search committee consists of members from a variety of fields including teachers, parents, administrators and school committee members.
"We're still early on in the search. We've had our committee and now we have the focus groups," Ellis said.
Applications are due by Friday and in March the committee will choose finalists for interviews and the appointment will be made by the end of the month, according to the committee's current timeline.
The vacancy announcement asks for a principal with outstanding leadership, advanced computer literacy and interpersonal skills.
Inviting the community is not typical but Ellis said the practice has worked well for her in previous searches.
The meeting will be held at the elementary school at 6:30 p.m.
