Marblehead elects new School Committee chairman

MARBLEHEAD – Patricia Blackmer will chair the School Committee this year.Nominated by former Chairman Dick Nohelty and unanimously elected Thursday evening, Blackmer is a five-year committee member who will also serve as chairman of the Glover School Building Oversight Committee.She formerly served as School Committee secretary and chair of the Facilities Master Plan Committee.Eurim Chun was elected vice chairman and new member Kathy Leonardson was elected secretary."I let people know I was interested in being chairman," she said Tuesday. "I don’t see the chairman as more important than other members, but the chairman does have responsibility for organizing the meetings and I think my organizational skill set is good."Reminded of her other duties, she said, "I’m relying on the other members to step up when I need assistance."Acting School Business Manager George Gearhart opened the meeting in the absence of Superintendent of Schools Paul Dulac.Blackmer no sooner took the gavel than she was faced with her first committee disagreement – committee member Jonathan Lederman voted against the School Committee Code of Ethics. It is the third year in a row that he has either voted against or abstained from voting on the two-page document, which outlines committee members’ responsibilities to the community, school administration and fellow committee members.In the past Lederman has said that he will abide by the law but he expressed reservations about three items in the code. On the recognition and support for the administrative chain of command and refusal to act on complaints as an individual, Lederman said, "We frequently get complaints and there is a time when it is necessary to remedy them."On the code requirement to act only on the superintendent’s recommendation in all matters of employment or dismissal, he said, "We can responsibly disagree with the superintendent."On the code’s ban on statements or promises regarding his committee votes, Lederman said, "When people ask what our position is we ought to be free to say."Blackmer said she reminded him that he can offer revisions to school policy, just as other committee members can."It would be nice if we could agree to abide by the same rules," she said Tuesday. "We’ll see what happens."