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Superintendent Pamela Angelakis received high marks, marking her third final evaluation. She’ll be entering into the fourth year of her five-year contract as superintendent.
By GAYLA CAWLEY
SWAMPSCOTT — Superintendent Pamela Angelakis received high marks from the School Committee on Wednesday night.
Angelakis got an overall proficient rating on her final evaluation, which was broken down into her performance on student learning, professional practice, and district improvement goals, along with four standards — instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community engagement, and professional culture.
The highest overall rating Angelakis could have received would have been exemplary, but it’s rare for someone to receive the top grade, according to Carin Marshall, school committee member.
“I’m really happy with it,” Angelakis said of her review. “I think I’ve worked really hard in the last three and a half years and I think the district is moving in the right direction and I’m grateful to the committee for their support in allowing me to grow in this position and really lead the district, and I feel like we’re sharing a vision now and we’re all working to accomplish that vision, so I think it’s good. I think it benefits the kids.”
The review marked Angelakis’ third final evaluation. In September, she’ll be entering into the fourth year of her five-year contract as superintendent.
“Absolutely for all of us, in everything we do here, there’s always room to grow, but I think that has to be balanced well with appreciation for the fine job that you do,” Amy O’Connor, chairwoman of the school committee, said to Angelakis. “You should know that you are well-respected and moving this district in a good direction.”
The only low mark the superintendent received was for achieving “some progress” on her professional practice goal, which read that during the “2016-17 school year, data will be collected and professional practices and superintendent’s vision shared to ensure that the administrative team demonstrates a shared vision of excellence in teaching practice and consistency in administrative professional walks.”
School Committee members in their evaluation stated that they wished there had been more accomplished toward the goal, but expressed an understanding that the goal was impeded by teacher contract negotiations.
“The nature and dynamics of contract negotiations is not conducive to implementing new procedures,” School Committee members wrote. “All committee members expressed the need to keep focus on this goal into the next year.”
Angelakis said administrative professional walks are where she would take her leadership team into classrooms and they would look at instructional practices. She said the purpose would be to look at what’s going on in terms of instruction, so they could calibrate and look at it through the same lens. That would allow them to talk about trends and patterns that they see. She said principals go into their school’s classrooms all the time, but to have other principals go in with them gives more of a district view than an individual school view.
The School Committee gave Angelakis high marks on two of her four goals — student learning, or more specifically on psychological safety, and on a district improvement goal, outlining a commitment to math and science. They graded her as meeting those two goals, a step below exceeding them.
Psychological safety has been a high focus area for Angelakis, and was outlined in the evaluation as a district priority. At Swampscott High School this year, two mental health programs, Swampscott Integrated for Transition (SWIFT) and The Harbor Program, were introduced. There are plans to bring both to the middle school.
SWIFT is designed to address the needs of students re-entering school after absences, due to serious mental health problems or medical illness. Harbor is a special education program for students with emotional disabilities.
“School Committee unanimously credited Superintendent Angelakis with the highest level of commitment to meeting the needs of all students and focusing on psychological safety,” reads the evaluation. “This dedication can be found at all levels within our district and begins at the top with Ms. Angelakis.”
A step below meeting her goal, Angelakis was graded as making significant progress toward building a technology team to create a technology vision for the future of the Swampscott Public Schools.
School Committee members wrote that a new team was assembled with existing staff members who made significant achievements during the school year, and that the work toward the much-needed tech plan was “gratifying to see and gives hope to the committee that this will soon be a reality.”
Committee members recognized that work was strongly impacted and interrupted by the need to switch focus mid-year to the new state-mandated Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). Members wrote that it required the entire team to instead focus on ensuring that hardware, software, internet access and training was completed so testing could be implemented.
Angelakis ranked a step below the top grade, exemplary, on the four standards, receiving a proficient grade.
Suzanne Wright, a school committee member, wrote that ambitious goals were set for the superintendent, and although they were not all completely met, Angelakis’ performance on standards shows that she continues to be a strong leader.
Wright added that she was confident that due to the superintendent’s leadership, shifts in the district’s culture are occurring and the expectations and results of work across all levels of staff are continuing to rise.
“Superintendent Angelakis continues to showcase her leadership skills within the many varied facets of superintendent responsibilities,” Marshall wrote. “Under her leadership, the district is well poised to reach new heights. She has forged excellent relations with town government and various committees and community organizations. She has a level of respect and rapport with other districts that is admirable and allows for collaboration and sharing of best practices.”
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.
