The Natick Public Schools Seek an

Interim Superintendent for the 23-24 School Year

Job Title	INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT	Location	Town Hall
Reports To	School Committee	Work days/FTE	260 days with vacation and holidays
Salary	Salary and benefits per contract with the Natick School Committee	Benefits	Eligible

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Natick Public Schools educate approximately 5,300 students from Pre-K through age 22. We are an innovative, supportive, and high-performing district whose outstanding staff provides high quality services for our diverse students and their families from Natick and Boston. Natick Public Schools is a community dedicated to all students achieving high standards in a safe, trusting, respectful environment where learning is exciting, dynamic, and engaging, and where connectedness and belonging are valued and actively cultivated. We are home to families that speak almost 60 different languages and our student population is approximately 29% Students of Color and 71% White students. With a graduation rate of 97% and 90% of our students attending post-secondary schools, we are proud of our commitment to excellence in educating students to be informed and successful citizens of a global world.

We enthusiastically welcome educators to our district who seek and thrive in a diverse environment that focuses on the whole child in a strengths-based approach. Please partner with us in our mission to support the diversity of our school community, promote and deliver equitable practices for all of our staff, students, and families, and create meaningful connections that enable everyone to feel included and thrive.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Interim Superintendent will lead our district through the transition to a new Superintendent in SY24-25 by providing stability and support for our staff and the continuation of current initiatives as documented in the strategic plan, including but not limited to, Equitable Access for All; Social-Emotional Learning; RTI, curriculum audits/review, and ELL supports. The Interim Superintendent of Schools will provide leadership in maintaining Natick’s excellent educational programs and services and preparing a budget for the 2024-25 school year that supports these services. The successful candidate will be someone who understands the unique role of interim superintendent, can support the current vision and direction of the district, and is committed to clear, transparent, and meaningful communication with all key stakeholders. Natick seeks a leader who empowers district staff and principals to make progress on already established goals and shares our commitment to innovation and use of technology. Leadership and knowledge of budget preparation, grant funding, and the MSBA process will be important in this interim role. The interim superintendent will maintain a strong culture of collaboration among staff and between the Education Association of Natick (EAN), as well as with town partners.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION:

Master's degree required; Ph.D., Ed.D, or J.D. preferred in Administration, Education, or related field
Licensed or eligible for licensure as a Superintendent in Massachusetts
SEI Endorsement for Administrators

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

Experience as a superintendent preferred
10 or more years of successful leadership experience at the district level as a Superintendent, Assistant/Deputy Superintendent, or Central Office Director; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the required knowledge, ability and skills to lead our district

SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE:

Thorough understanding of and commitment to the principles and practices of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice as they relate to student, staff, and community engagement and cultivation
Thorough knowledge of the philosophies, principles, practices, and procedures of public school administration
Practical knowledge of administrative, managerial and supervisory practices and techniques
Thorough knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations governing school districts in Massachusetts
Considerable knowledge of the current literature, trends, and developments in the field of education
Thorough knowledge of national/state/local initiatives
Thorough knowledge of prescribed School Committee policies and procedures
Thorough understanding of financial planning, budget development, and fiscal oversight

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Demonstrated aptitude for work to be performed including managing district budgets
Ability to maintain the district’s long term goals, objectives, and initiatives
Ability to motivate others to reach their fullest potential
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the School Committee, students, parents/caregivers, school/district staff, union leaders, and town partners.
Skill in oral and written communications
Ability to make independent decisions in accordance with established policies and procedures
Working knowledge of the Google suite, Microsoft products, Student Information Systems such as Power School, and other programs relative to work as a Superintendent
Bilingual skills, especially in Spanish and Portuguese, are highly desirable

Alternative degrees/experience may be substituted for the above

at the discretion of the Director of HR and the School Committee Search Task Force, if such a substitution brings a strong candidate forward.

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES (not limited to)

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.

EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP:

Leads, administers, and coordinates the full educational program for Natick Public Schools
Facilitates the continued collaborative efforts to implement the current educational vision, mission, and beliefs for NPS
Communicates the educational vision, mission, and belief standards effectively to all stakeholders
Directly supervises district-level and school-based administrators, with ultimate supervisory authority over all other district personnel

ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP:

Supervises the effective implementation of and compliance with all constitutional or statutory laws, state and federal regulations, and School Committee policies

Develops and recommends policies, positions, and actions affecting all activities, programs, facilities, and staff to the School Committee

Informs and advises the School Committee about the programs and practices in the schools and keeps the School Committee informed of the activities operating under the Committee's authority

Maintains a cooperative working relationship with the Town government and its agencies.

Models for all school personnel the use of data to make well-informed decisions.

PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION:

Responsible for the hiring, assigning and transfer of all licensed and non-licensed personnel in the district as set forth in the Education Reform Act of 1993
Evaluates all administrative personnel under their direct supervision in accordance with established procedures which includes providing quality feedback and modeling exemplary practices
Empowers administrators to lead their staff and implement practices that enable progress towards the district's Strategic Goals
Responsible for the supervision and evaluation of the performance of all school personnel in a systematic manner
Oversees all financial contractual obligations and works closely with the Director of Human Resources regarding compensation and new hires.
Ensures effective staff development focused on improving the educational and operational programs for Natick Public Schools in collaboration with the School Committee, district, and school-based administrators
Holds meetings with teachers, administrators, and other employees for discussing matters concerning the improvement and welfare of the schools
Oversees collective bargaining efforts and responds appropriately to employee grievances or problems in accordance with applicable School Committee policies, collective bargaining agreements, and/or state/federal laws and regulations
Communicates to the staff matters relating to policy changes or other Committee actions affecting school personnel.

FINANCIAL PLANNING

Collaborates with the Assistant Superintendent of Finance in preparing, administering, and supervising the district budget and finances
Directs the preparation of the annual budget for adoption by the Committee
Aligns budgeted funds and human resources to achieve already established strategic goals
Involves principals and other administrators in the budget development process.
Serves as a liaison with the community and governmental bodies such as the Finance Committee and Town Meeting as well as the community throughout the budget development process.
Maintains efficient procedures and effective controls for all expenditures of school funds in accordance with the adopted budget.
Ensures that financial reports are prepared in an accurate and timely basis.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE/COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Attends and participates in all meetings of the School Committee. Represents the Committee as a liaison between the district and community organizations, institutions and agencies.
Ensures that the Committee chair is well-informed of substantial matters of importance or cost to the District as well as matters that could reasonably come before the Committee.
Maintains a communication plan to keep the community well informed of the activities and needs of the schools.
Fosters a positive relationship between and among the schools, business partners, and community by providing for avenues of communication and participation in school activities and planning.
Attends the relevant portions of Town Meeting and speaks on matters affecting the District when necessary

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Work is generally conducted in typical school department office conditions. The Interim Superintendent is required to work outside of normal business hours and attend frequent evening meetings, social, and civic events, as well as traveling to schools, and local/regional/national meetings. The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the job satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to:

move about offices, schools, school grounds, and/or off-site locations.

On some occasions, it may be necessary to move quickly across even or uneven surfaces;

remain in a stationary position for periods of time;
operate a computer and other school/office productivity machinery (i.e., laptop, copy machine, computer printer, etc.);
read material from a computer monitor as well as handwritten or printed matter with or without visual aids;
position oneself to maintain files and access school/classroom/office materials;
communicate with others so that information received and given is understood and accurately communicated;
communicate and collaborate effectively with the School Committee, the community, staff members, students, and parents, in person, via video conference, on the telephone, and/or in writing;
observe details at close range
multitask and meet multiple demands from several people;
lift up to and including 25 lbs
work in an environment where the noise level is moderate to loud

SELECTION GUIDELINES

Formal application
Rating of education and experience
Oral interviews
Reference check
Strong record of work performance in current and previous roles required
Successful completion of Criminal Records Check (C.O.R.I.), Sexual Offender Record Check (S.O.R.I.), and fingerprints.

The Natick Public Schools do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, color, religion, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other class protected by law.

Date Updated: 4/3/23