Marblehead super fills 2 top administrative posts

MARBLEHEAD – Superintendent of Schools Greg Maass has filled two of the top administrative posts on his list. On his recommendation the School Committee voted unanimously to hire both administrators subject to negotiation of a contract.For assistant superintendent for curriculum Maass recommended Maryann Perry, who is in her fourth year as deputy superintendent of schools in Leominster.Maass introduced her to the School Committee as the person who supervises curriculum for pre-kindergarten-Grade 12 in Leominster, manages district testing and “has a passion for grants.”When he checked with her associates he found people who thought of her as someone who “will find funding to make anything happen,” and one who said “I would not only rehire her, I would hire her as superintendent.” He noted that Leominster MCAS scores improved under her leadership.Perry told the committee that “None of that is possible without a good team” and said she felt “humble to be here.”Maass recommended Ken Lord, who serves the Bedford schools as director of information and technology, as technology supervisor. Lord has been with the Bedford schools since 1991, but he has previous ties with Marblehead and helped renovate the MHTV Channel 9 public broadcast studio.?He?s not just coming here for the job, he came for the community,” Maass said, but noted, “What separated Ken from the others who applied was his background in technology. He?s doing some of the work in Bedford that we?re going to need to do in Marblehead.”Maass said the Bedford superintendent told him Lord is “the most talented person I?ve ever worked with.” Another reference said Lord knew more about computer systems than the company representatives and “Until Ken says it?s okay it?s not okay.”The search for a human resources director is still continuing. The $275,000 Maass planned to use to hire the three new positions will come from rearrangements in Maass?s administration, including reductions in the hours for the fine arts curriculum director.