By Carol Britton Meyer

Following a full day of focus group sessions on Oct. 19, the New England School Development Council shared with the school committee a draft profile of the ideal candidate to be the next Hull Public Schools superintendent.

The profile is based on the feedback that consultant Dr. Margaret Frieswyk gathered from parents and guardians, students, administrators, and staff to guide the screening and selection process. NESDEC was hired to facilitate the search to replace Judith Kuehn, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

The Hull Teachers Association, the union representing most of the district’s teachers, offered its own set of priorities, including a preference that the next superintendent come from outside the Hull Public Schools.

NESDEC’s draft report outlines the skills, expertise, and experience those who participated would like to see in the next superintendent, as well as what they feel needs to be accomplished in year one of his or her tenure. An online survey was available for those unable to attend the focus groups. Those results will be incorporated into the final candidate profile.

The three common threads among all the groups who participated related first to finding creative ways for Hull to be seen “as a viable option for residency and schooling, including partnering with other leadership in town,” in light of declining enrollment, Frieswyk said.

There also was a general consensus that the new superintendent should build trust and positive relationships during implementation of the second phase of the school consolidation in September.

Another priority shared among the groups was the importance of communicating “in a way that builds a strong alliance will all stakeholders.” The new superintendent also should maintain an open-door policy and be visible in the schools and in the community.

Teachers placed priority on the new superintendent having experience with contract negotiations, according to Frieswyk. Maintaining a balance between being a strong financial manager working with the school committee to craft a responsible budget “while also advocating for staff you obviously cherish and support” is another consideration, she said.

The desire was also expressed that the new superintendent will get to know the district – what has been tried, and what works and what hasn’t – “and take the time to think about the district’s potential,” Frieswyk noted.

Brian Mullin, one of the three Hull Teachers Association presidents, suggested including representatives from the three schools and a specialist “to cover the whole dynamic of the school system” on the screening committee.

He also presented to the school committee the written results of a survey asking teachers if they agree with the HTA leadership’s stance on the “three key components needed to drive the HPS in the direction that is necessary for future success.”

Mullin provided a copy of the survey to The Hull Times after the meeting. It was not discussed during the meeting.

The three points were that the new superintendent “needs to be from a candidate pool outside of the Hull public school system;” someone who has classroom teaching and administrative experience; and an administrator who has successfully negotiated contracts with a union. 

The survey was completed by about 50 percent of teachers. Ninety-nine percent of Hull teachers belong to the union, according to Mullin.

Frieswyk referred to herself as a “listener and a scribe” during the focus groups, not someone in the role of setting priorities.

It’s expected that the school committee will be ready to offer and negotiate a contract by Jan. 22, with an expected start date of July 2024.

Frieswyk was impressed with the students who participated.

“They were incredibly articulate and very aware of the areas of opportunity and challenge, as well as the things that are working well,” she said.

The school committee members then provided their own input, which Frieswyk added to the draft. This included a focus on student academic outcomes; ongoing maintenance of the school buildings, fields, and other facilities; experience with negotiating contracts and budgeting; building upon the current good relationship among the leadership team, central office, and the principals; and knowing when delegating responsibilities is appropriate and to whom.

A commitment to maintaining existing educational and vocational partnerships in the community, including the summer marine program and the Hull Lifesaving Museum, along with the partnership with the Hull Police Department in promoting safety in the schools are other priorities for the new superintendent, school committee members said.

Among the immediate challenges identified during the focus groups are addressing cultural and social and emotional issues associated with the consolidation; addressing declining enrollments; creating a “culture of care” that focuses on positive relationships; “embracing rather than fearing technology” and improving technology hardware and infrastructure; and possibily expanding the guidance department.

Another overall point of consensus was that the new superintendent “has big shoes to fill,” which school committee member Ernest Minelli said is a testament to Kuehn’s overall success.

“It’s important for the new superintendent to take the time to get to know the community and its culture,” school committee member Liliana Hedrick said.

“We also want a superintendent who is open to feedback and a lifelong learner,” said member Kyle Conley, who is the committee’s contact person for the search and screening process.

The committee independently reviewed the draft document during the weekend following the presentation, with more information to come.

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