Geryk spent the first half of her 30-year career in public education in direct service to students and has worked as a special education teacher, a school adjustment counselor and school psychologist throughout the state.

 

The second half of her career, Geryk held various administrative roles including five years as superintendent of the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools and most recently as director of students services at Central Berkshire Regional School District.

 

Geryk received her bachelor's degree from Westfield College and her master of education from the University of Massachusetts.

 

She said she read the district's turnaround plan and has implemented similar programs in her past positions.

 

"I felt like it was the perfect time to jump into Adams-Cheshire based on what you have on paper ... and I really think that I would do a wonderful job working with your staff, faculty, your families and your students," she said. "I feel like it is close to home and I know the systems well enough from the research I have done so I think I can do a good job for you."

 

As for moving the district out of Level 3 status, Geryk said it appears much of the groundwork has been set and now it is a matter of having teachers work together to create the best possible environment for learning.

 

Geryk went on to speak about collaboration within the district and with other school districts and thought setting up leadership teams within the district is critical and that teachers should collaborate regularly.

 

"I think collaboration is the most important thing in public schools," she said. "Teachers really own their work so creating a system in a school where teachers deliberately collaborate and communicate on a regular basis is important ... it is about creating a professional learning community."

 

Geryk added that she has collaborated with higher education organizations as well as businesses in the past. With other school districts, she said it is important to take inventory and see what can be shared and if it will actually be beneficial to Adams-Cheshire. 

 

The School Committee informed Geryk of some of the new hands-on programs that have implemented and Geryk added that it is important to reach out to students and see what kind of programming they want. She added that project-based learning can be implemented at every level and in every classroom.

 

"At a core level having more hands-on project based experience for students is important," she said. "It provides a more visceral connection to their learning when it is fun and engaging and real world."

 

She added that it is important to get a "lay of the land" and use data to see where students are struggling. 

 

"I think these are very core things that happen for some students but not all students and I personally don't think you need to teach to a test," she said. "I think you need to provide instruction with strong evidence-based curriculum and we all need to be on the same page."   

 

This lead into what Geryk would do to stop the hemorrhaging of students from the district and she said she would ask the students and parents why the left.

 

"I would be asking them specifically what are you going to access somewhere else that you don't have here because we want to have our children educated in their home community at if all possible," she said. She added it is important to capitalize on what students want and what the district is good at but not replicate what is done in other school districts.

 

On the closing of Cheshire Elementary School and how to bring the two towns together, Geryk said she, too, had closed a school in the past and noted it was hard on the community. She said the most important thing is to be open, available and transparent with community members. 

 

"I think the most important thing is to make connections because it is about relationships," she said. "People's feelings do become hurt when you go through the process ... when they feel strongly about keeping the school open or something that they are connected to."

 

School Committee member Adam Emerson also asked why Geryk ended her contract with Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools early. According to MassLive, Geryk's departure came after a string of controversies during her tenure. 

 

Geryk said although she loved the community, professionally her future was not in Amherst. The superintendent is often "a lightning rod" in community disagreements and debates, she said.

 

"I was in that role for many many years and at a certain point it became pretty counterintuitive to what my priorities were because I felt like I was focusing a lot more energy and action on the more political aspect of the work and less on the students."