Groups demand BPS interim superintendent be barred from permanent job
Nearly a dozen educator, parent, and civil rights organizations are calling on Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the School Committee to bar Interim Superintendent Laura Perille from applying for her post permanently.
In a statement Wednesday, the groups demanded that Walsh and the School Committee “state clearly and publicly that the interim superintendent will not be considered for permanent appointment.’’
The opposition comes more than two months after Walsh and the School Committee appointed Perille as the system’s temporary leader after former superintendent, Tommy Chang, resigned.
Perille, the former head of the Boston nonprofit EdVestors, has never run a school system before and never worked as a teacher or principal. As of Monday, Perille had not yet secured a license from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to work as a superintendent. State rules allow an individual to work as an unlicensed superintendent for 90 days.
Since her appointment, Perille has repeatedly refused to say if she will seek the post permanently, most recently last week.
“Our goal and expectation is that a quality, diverse, and experienced pool of candidates apply,’’ the groups’ statement said. “Without a definitive statement regarding the Interim Superintendent, however, strong candidates may conclude that the search is not a serious one, and they will decline or be reluctant to apply. “
The groups plan to formally present their concerns to the School Committee Wednesday night. They are also asking the committee to set a clear timeline for choosing a superintendent.
The committee has yet to appoint a panel to seek out and vet candidates and does not even plan to discuss the superintendent search at its meeting Wednesday, according to its agenda. This is the committee’s first meeting in two months and school systems typically begin their searches in the fall.
The statement was signed by the following groups:
BEAM (Black Educators’ Alliance of Massachusetts)
Boston Branch NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
Boston Network for Black Student Achievement
Citizens for Public Schools
East Boston Schools Family Coalition
Harbor Point Community Task Force
Mass COSH (Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health)
QUEST (Quality Education for Every Student)
SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice)- Boston
Start Smart- Boston
Union of Minority Neighborhoods.
— This is a developing story and will be updated.
