Finalists to interview in Feb. for West Springfield superintendent

Jan. 25, 2023 | Michael Ballway
mballway@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD – School Committee members plan to hire a new superintendent in mid-February, after announcing educators from Longmeadow, Springfield and Windham, CT, as the three finalists for the post.

At a Jan. 18 meeting, School Committee member Colleen Marcus, who co-chairs the 13-member committee leading the search, said the School Committee plans to interview the three finalists in a public meeting on Feb. 14, before making a final decision on whom to hire.

The finalists, announced by School Committee member Kira Thompson, the other co-chair of the search committee, are:

Thomas Landers, a West Springfield resident, principal of Longmeadow High School. That school employs more than 80 teachers and serves about 900 students in grades 9-12; in both numbers it is slightly smaller than West Springfield High School. Landers has a certificate of advanced graduate studies in educational administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a master of arts degree in teaching from Elms College in Chicopee, a bachelor of arts degree from St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, and an associate’s degree in liberal arts from Springfield Technical Community College. He began his career as a history teacher at Chicopee High School in 1993, before leaving to become Longmeadow High School’s assistant principal in 2005.

Stefanie Raschilla, chief instruction officer for Springfield Public Schools. She has been employed in various jobs with that city’s schools, including seven years as elementary school principal and two years as the district’s literacy director, since 1999. Springfield has a public school enrollment of 23,721 and more than 2,200 teachers. She has a master’s degree in reading from American International College in Springfield and a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education from St. Mary’s College of Indiana. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in Springfield.

Marcus Ware, currently executive director for strategic initiatives in the public school district of Windham, CT, where he has worked since 2018. According to its website, Windham has 338 teachers serving 3,194 children in pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Ware has a doctorate in educational leadership and administration from the University of Hartford, as well as a master’s degree in education from Cambridge College and bachelor’s degree in science from Western Connecticut State University. He began his career in 2005 as a science teacher.

West Springfield has a total enrollment of 3,868 in pre-kindergarten through grade 12, according to the most recent state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education figures. The district employs the full-time equivalent of 344 teachers.

Marcus said School Committee members will spend a day in each of the finalists’ current districts, Feb. 8, 9 and 10, with Feb. 13 available as a snow day, to learn more about the candidates from their coworkers. At the same time, Mayor William Reichelt will host each finalist on a visit of the West Springfield schools, including a morning “coffee and doughnuts” meeting with staff and a visit to each school. The end of each day will include a “meet-and-greet” session to which the public will be invited. Reichelt said he will publicize the dates and times of the meet-and-greet sessions once they are scheduled with the finalists.

“We would advertise and encourage people to come to the meet-and-greets, because I think we would value any feedback our community might have,” Marcus said.

Reichelt thanked the 13 members of the search committee, which included Marcus and Thompson, Town Councilor Anthony DiStefano, school administrators and faculty, and community representatives. The Massachusetts Association of School Committees served as a consultant.

Vito Perrone, the assistant superintendent, has been serving as interim superintendent since last summer, when Superintendent Timothy Connor left to take a job with the state’s education department. Connor, a West Springfield native, had taken over in February 2020, just a month before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

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