LYNN — In an effort to better gauge which qualities the community would like to see in Lynn’s next Superintendent of Schools, Mayor Jared Nicholson, alongside Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) Glenn Koocher led a public hearing Tuesday evening in the Lynn Auditorium.
Following Nicholson’s opening remarks, Koocher kicked off the hearing by asking the approximately 10-person audience, which included school committee members Donna Copolla and Lorraine Gately, along with Ward 3 City Councilor Coco Alinsug, how they believe the school district could grow or improve and which particular qualities they would like to see in the ideal Superintendent of Schools.
While community members brought up a number of potential changes they would like to see, from ideas such as the expansion of vocational education to programs enhancing career growth in middle schools, the two most commonly-suggested changes for the school district were the implementation of dual language learning programs, and enhancing school security and safety.
Early in the hearing, MassHire Career Coach and member of the New Lynn Coalition Quendia Martinez suggested that Lynn’s future Superintendent work to engage with immigrant students in their native languages, to help them learn English and navigate a new culture.
Martinez cited her former student, a 16 year-old immigrant from the Dominican Republic who tried to enroll in the school system, but who, without speaking English, or having any family in the U.S, could not navigate the enrollment system, and wound up returning to the Dominican Republic to finish her high school education.
“I would like to see accessibility for those students who come to us, we have to be more proactive in the schools, and fight to have more communication, especially for Spanish people,” Martinez said.
Lynn Parents and Search Committee member Amy Butterworth agreed with Martinez, saying that she would like the next superintendent to be involved with parents and engaged with all of the different cultures and languages in the school district.
“A person in this position needs to feel and be very accessible to the community, to the parents and to the students. They need to embrace the diversity and the rich cultures that we have here in Lynn and to help promote all of the good things that go on inside of the schools and really market and highlight a lot of the wonderful programming and partnerships that we have,” Butterworth said.
Alinsug, who said that he attended the meeting not only as a member of city government, but as a community member, suggested that the next school superintendent act as a public figure, engaging with students and families in extracurricular programs and settings.
“I want to see a superintendent that is in touch with the community. It’s a public figure personality of some sort. He needs to be in touch with a lot of programs outside of the schools,” Aliunsug said. “This city is a city of a lot of nonprofit organizations, there’s programs that the superintendent and the local public schools could utilize.”
LEAP for Education Executive Director Linda Saris mirrored Alinsug’s remarks, suggesting that the superintendent engage with community non-profits and programs to better serve the district’s students. She also said that she would like to see the next superintendent implement programs to help middle and high school students set career goals and plan for their futures.
“It gives kids an end goal of what they’re working towards. And it also contextualizes what they’re learning in school, like ‘how am what I’m learning in school translate into what my end goal would be?’ ” Saris said. “There are so many nonprofits, youth serving organizations, and I think the superintendent should be part of that.”
Parent Tanisha Soo Miller said that she wants the next superintendent to expand vocational programs for Lynn students. She also called for enhanced security in the school district, particularly around drop offs and pickups.
“Safety and security, I think, is really important. One thing that I have noticed that I think is bonkers. But when you go to pick up a kid, no one asks for a license, ID, nothing,” Miller said.
Lynn parent Arnaldo Riviera, in response to discussion over school safety and security, said that his daughter, who attends Pickering School, tells him numerous stories of fights among students, one of which involved a student assaulting a teacher with a knife, that went unreported to parents or authorities.
“Since the beginning of the school, there have been numerous attempts of assaults on kids from other kids. There have been fights right out in the open in front of where the police officer himself parks,” Riviera said. “Parents have yet to even be notified in any shape or form via text, message or email. I would recommend this change with a new superintendent.”
With two weeks until applications for the role of Superintendent of Schools close, Nicholson said that Tuesday’s hearing, in addition to an online survey which will be made open to the public, will help the Superintendent Search Committee focus their priorities in selecting the ideal candidate.
“It takes a whole team. We’re fortunate to have a really strong team, and I think a lot of exciting progress continues to unfold in the public schools. Having a leader in place with a vision that that team can rally around is going to be really important for us to continue that momentum,” Nicholson said “The feedback is really important. It informs what we’re doing on the school committee, it informs the search committee’s work, and it’s going to help the next superintendent hit the ground running to have some of that feedback already shared.”
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at [email protected]
