Dulac scores well on final evaluation

MARBLEHEAD – In his fourth and final annual personnel evaluation, the School Committee told the public and Superintendent of Schools Paul Dulac, “We continue to be fortunate to have Dr. Dulac as our superintendent.”?Dr. Dulac cares about our students and teachers, and he puts 100 percent of his efforts and energy into improving education in the district schools? He successfully handles a myriad of responsibilities and effectively runs the district,” the evaluation concluded.?There have been some difficult personnel issues this year; these decisions are not always popular and it falls to the superintendent to provide basic assessment criteria to help people understand (not necessarily agree with) his decisions.”Dulac was pleased with the assessment.?I accept this critique from the School Committee as a whole,” Dulac said Friday. “What I really liked is the committee?s clear support for the instructional focus, which is also influencing the hiring of the next superintendent.”Dulac?s instructional focus is aimed at making children lifelong learners who can question what they are told and think creatively about problems. He noted that the school?s four-year transition to his philosophy has been accomplished at a reasonable cost, with level-service school budgets, and could be done anywhere in Massachusetts.?When I came here I wasn?t sure this would work,” he said. “It does work.”Originally hired in 2006 for three years at a $160,000 starting salary, he renegotiated to four years in 2007, with the option of a fifth year at his discretion. Dulac decided in April that he wouldn?t exercise that option.The evaluation acknowledges the “public relations problem” stemming from Dulac?s heart problems last spring, which coincided with the discovery of a problem involving furniture storage for the Marblehead Village School renovation project.That problem resulted in the departure of a former school business manager, the hiring, un-hiring and hiring of present School Business Manager Brian Salzer, and a three-month delay of Dulac?s evaluation while the superintendent resolved the Inspector General?s question about his performance in that matter.The eight-page review document noted that the committee was notified of the storage problem in March but due to the illness they did not receive a copy of the IG?s April letter questioning the town?s procedures until late May. The illness also complicated Salzer?s hiring process.In reviewing Dulac?s performance each of last year?s School Committee members – Patricia Blackmer, EuRim Chun, Amy Drinker, Jonathan Lederman and Dick Nohelty – gave written answers to questions in nine performance areas.The chairman creates a single document from the five essay responses, reviewing each member?s individual responses with that member so that the essays are kept anonymous.Dulac only receives the composite document – but committee members may discuss their responses with him if they wish.Committee members acknowledged Thursday evening that there has to be a better way.Nohelty called the procedure “subpar” and said it should be changed next year. Chun, the committee chairman, said instead of essay questions the committee members should try a numerical rating system and called for further discussion at a committee retreat.Due to the personnel issues last summer?s retreat became a business meeting.