SWAMPSCOTT — The School Committee conducted its interview of Middle School Principal Jason Calichman for the position of Superintendent of Schools.
In September, current Superintendent of Schools Pamela Angelakis officially endorsed Calichman to be her successor when she retires on June 30, 2025. Calichman has held a leadership position at the middle school since 2011, when he started as an assistant principal. He was promoted to his current position of principal in 2015.
Calichman named communication, collaboration, and problem solving as the most important qualities for an effective superintendent, and that he possesses all those skills.
He expressed his support for limiting the use of cell phones and social media for students during school hours, and that he feels it will help improve students’ mental health and academic performance.
“I think the cons far outweigh the pros,” Calichman said.
He thanked Angelakis for the hires she has made and structure she has put in place during her tenure, and that the district is in position to only improve moving forward. However, he named partnering with parents and families of students as an area the system could improve.
When asked about “high stakes” standardized testing such as MCAS, Calichman said his main concern with it in the past has been with the amount of time it takes to conduct certain testing. However, he expressed his support for the state ballot question that would no longer require MCAS testing as a requirement for graduation.
Committee member Suzanne Wright asked for Calichman’s thoughts on the perception that the fact that he is a Swampscott native and has children within the district as a reason why he may not be able to fairly serve as Superintendent. He responded by saying that working in Swampscott is not his only experience in the field of education.
“I taught in Jersey City for two years, I came back and worked in Wakefield, I worked for the ABC Program in Topsfield, I coached at MASCO,” Calichman said. “I think that part of my job for the last 13 years has always been that I have to do what’s best for the school, for the kids, for the teachers… I try to treat everybody as fairly as I can.”
Committee Chair Glenn Paster asked Calichman about special education, and how they can best allocate the district’s resources to assist students with learning challenges.
“We need to get our special ed numbers down below 20%,” Calichman said. “And to do that, we have to look at our schedule and we have to have built-in systems of support.”
Calichman expressed his support in expanding the METCO Program in the district across all ages, however he said it is first important to further ingratiate the current students in the program to make them feel part of the Swampscott school community.
Calichman recounted the start of the Gay/Straight Alliance at the middle school nearly a decade ago.
“I thought we weren’t ready, I thought the kids were too young,” Calichman said. “Finally, I said ‘yes let’s do it.’ And now, it’s such a thriving program at our school.”
When it comes to the district’s budget, Calichman prioritized teacher retention.
“I would like to work collaboratively with the town to make sure that we’re all on the same page,” Calichman said. “I know we’re not going to get everything we ask for, but why not ask for everything that we do need?”
Wright asked Calichman how he would build relationships with town leadership, such as Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald. He said he would meet with him and others as soon as possible.
Toward the end of the nearly two-hour interview, each committee member described what they feel are the most important characteristics for the role of superintendent. They included setting a consistent tone, being willing to listen to others, being willing to challenge oneself, and someone who can learn from a predecessor but can still bring their own personal ideas and thoughts to the position.
According to Paster, the former Swampscott High School baseball coach is the only candidate who is presently scheduled for an interview.
