School Committee Votes on Interim Superintendent after Multiplatform Interview Marathon

by Inanna Arthen
After a 4-hour interview marathon with both Zoom and in-person meetings on Wednesday, August 2, the Winchendon School Committee voted to offer the position to candidate Dr. Ruthann Petruno-Goguen (resume) (LinkedIn), contingent on their accepting the position and all negotiations being successfully completed. Dr. Petruno-Goguen was the first interviewee and joined the Zoom meeting from Portugal, where she was traveling with her husband when she learned of the position posting.

With the school year scheduled to begin on Friday, August 25 with Professional Development days for staff, and students due to be back in class on Wednesday, August 30 (see academic calendar for 2023-2024 at https://www.winchendonk12.org/article/1159070), speed was of the essence for the School Committee to hire an interim Superintendent. The School Committee itself is down by two members following last week's unexpected departures by long-time member Greg Vine and former Chair Dr. Ryan Forsythe. The interim Superintendent position was posted with a four day window for applications, and appeared on the national public school systems jobs board SchoolSpring. School Committee Chair Karen Kast-McBride told the Courier that the Committee received a dozen applications, and winnowed them down to the top four finalists.

On Tuesday, August 1, the school district announced that interviews would take place on Wednesday, August 2 and would be open to the public. Beginning at 3:00 p.m. Dr. Petruno-Goguen and applicant Dr. Marlene A. DiLeo were interviewed via Zoom. Following that, the School Committee and interested members of the public assembled in the Town Hall 2nd floor auditorium for in-person interviews with applicants Shauna B. LaPointe and Roland R. Joyal, Jr. beginning at about 5:30 p.m. Following those interviews, the floor was opened for public comment. The Committee deliberated and voted on a candidate publicly, and then shooed citizens out of the auditorium so they could enter Executive Session and discuss details.

Dr. Forsythe, who had not yet submitted a formal letter of resignation, attended all the interviews and participated in the discussion but abstained from the final vote. He attended the second two interviews via a Zoom link to the auditorium, as he was away with his family. After last week's recording failure, Town Manager's administrative assistant Debra Dennis had two recording systems running for the in-person interviews, and multiple citizens in the auditorium were recording, as well.

After some brief technical glitches were overcome, Dr. Petruno-Goguen began her Zoom interview. "I am a retired superintendent," she explained. "I recently retired from the Webster Public Schools and I've been a superintendent for the last 12 years in three different districts, and I have been in public education for the past 23 years. I actually grew up in Jaffrey New Hampshire not far from Winchendon. So I'm familiar with the Winchendon community from a distance." She said that she had been on vacation and had gotten a call about the position being open. "Because it's close, because I'm a change agent and able to really set up systems and structures, I threw in my hat and so I'm here to answer any questions, and I'm eager to learn a little bit more about your community. And I see that with the interest online [some 20 citizens had joined the Zoom meeting] that people are very eager to have a leader in your district that's there to listen and help you come over the hump that you're in."

Asked what attracted her to the job, Dr. Petruno-Goguen said, "I have always been drawn to districts that are in disarray. And my gift is to come in and be able to put structures in place to help those strong structures get established, so that the district itself can continue to grow, with a focus on students and supporting teachers." She has experience working with a turnaround district, Webster. She also worked for Mascenic Regional School District in New Hampshire, and was a principal before she rose to Superintendent roles.

"I have a special education background and I started my career as a counselor, and in each of my roles I have been an advocate for kids in terms of making sure that programs are evolving. And I think that's a really important word, evolving, evolving to support the ever-changing needs of all of our students. Sometimes students get lost in the dust because programming hasn't evolved. Sometimes teachers get burned out because they don't have the supports that they need in order to service the multiple needs of the students." Public education has changed a lot, she said. "There are a lot of social emotional and mental health needs in addition to educational needs." She described herself as a "collaborative leader."

Asked what she knew about the Winchendon School District, Dr. Petruno-Goguen she knew it was a turnaround district, was looking for a middle school principal and an elementary school principal, hiring a Director of Special Education, and has "had some turnover" in staff. "I know that turnover impacts culture and turnover impacts morale. People need to feel secure. 'People' meaning not just teachers, but families and parents and students themselves. A sense of safety and security is built on having people that lead and support your kids, through building that trustful relationship," she said.

The relationship between the Superintendent and the School Committee needs to be very clear, she said, with goals outlined. "I do believe that the Superintendent serves as the head leader of building relationships with teachers and supporting principals in their role. There's a lot of turnover in education and people need to feel like someone's listening and that they're being heard...I think the relationship between the School Committee and the Superintendent needs to be transparent. It needs to be open and honest...the School Committee's role is really outlined by three things: hiring a superintendent, approving a budget and setting policies that are followed in the district that help create the culture that you want. A Superintendent's role is the CEO of the organization, anywhere from the budget building to the human resource and personal relationships and building that entry plan for people to come into the district and feel supported. Curriculum and instruction. Applying for grants, managing the facilities. It's a very big role." She added some examples from her past experience.

Asked how she would maintain morale in a time of transition, Dr. Petruno-Goguen emphasized building relationships, listening, and communication. "I have an open door policy," she said. Morale in a district revolves around a strong strategic plan that everyone agrees to fully commit to. It centers on a sense of belonging, built from several "buckets." Establishing safety for everyone; ensuring that the students were engaged and doing most of the thinking and learning in the classrooms; making sure the district was culturally responsive to students from all different cultures and languages. "It is not one person that is going to create the sustainable change in your district. Everyone has to commit to that. Everyone has to commit to whatever those goals are," she said.

Asked how she saw her role in working with the community, Dr. Petruno-Goguen said it was very important for the Superintendent to be a part of the community. She explained that in her previous positions, she was in the school buildings all the time. She participated in "fun events," read to classes, attended the football games, went to all the open houses. She wanted parents to feel they could always talk to her about anything they were concerned about, and that they understood how to get help for their child. "I think as a superintendent, having been in the role of a guidance counselor and a principal, I think you have to model that. So that your principals and your guidance counselors and your people who work underneath you model that openness and willingness to help parents and students find the success that they're looking for."

Dr. Petruno-Goguen said that a School Committee is like a governing board and the Superintendent is the CEO. There needs to be a chain of command for communication, and "it can get very unhealthy when people go directly to a School Committee." She explained, "things can get pretty muddied if School Committees get involved in the day to day without allowing the people who are in the day to day to help to solve the problem. Because there are complex issues that happen on every given day involving kids and students and teachers, and some of that is not for public consumption."

Asked what she saw as the specific mission of an interim (as opposed to the permanent) Superintendent, Dr. Petruno-Goguen said it wasn't her style to "do nothing and just hold the ground still." She would build relationships and keep the district moving toward its goals and on mission. "It is our job to evolve and meet the needs for our kids," she said, and she would want to look at what could be accomplished during her time as interim. She stated that she could probably serve in the position no more than two years, and would be interested in mentoring someone in the district to step into the permanent position.

School Committee members said that the interim would need to "hit the ground running" in the job, and there was some discussion of how soon Dr. Petruno-Goguen would be able to start, as she will be out of the country until August 7.

After Dr. Petruno-Goguen left the Zoom meeting, the School Committee members agreed that she was a very strong candidate. The second Zoom interview, Dr. Marlene DiLeo (resume), had quite a lot in common with Dr. Petruno-Goguen in terms of experience and background. She had also been a superintendent for years, in the town of Ware, and previous to that had worked as a principal and teacher in Holyoke. Her base training is in the area of physical education and athletics rather than counseling and Special Education, however.

The first of the in-person interviews was candidate Shauna LaPointe (resume) (LinkedIn), who is a current employee of the Winchendon Public Schools. Shauna stood out from the other three applicants in several ways; she is a life-long Winchendon resident and graduate of the Winchendon school system, and she has no previous administrative experience. She teaches education courses at Fitchburg State University. But Shauna impressed all listeners very favorably with her dedication to Winchendon and its school system, as well as her knowledgability, positive but realistic attitude, and enthusiasm. Her educational base is in elementary education, grades 1-6, in which she holds a Masters degree.

Before Shauna came forward for her interview, School Committee member David LaPointe addressed concerns he had heard that he had a conflict of interest with the candidate. Ms. LaPointe's husband, Jeremy, works in the LaPointe Law Office building, although David and Jeremy have independent solo law practices. Mr. David LaPointe explained that contrary to rumors, Jeremy is not his son, and there is no blood relationship between him and either Shauna or Jeremy LaPointe. Mr. David LaPointe stated that he had discussed the entire situation with the state Ethics Commission and wanted to say "on pain of perjury and under oath" that there was no relationship or conflict of interest, and there is no connection between himself and Jeremy LaPointe beyond their names. (The Courier will note that there are many families of French Canadian heritage in the region and names like "LaPointe" are extremely common.)

The final interviewee was Roland R. Joyal Jr. (resume), who has experience as a Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent in West Springfield and Chicopee, and an educational base in science, having been a vocational high school science teacher in Springfield.

Ms. LaPointe's and Mr. Joyal's interviews may be seen on the town YouTube page. The direct link is www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcJraBVt6ig. The Zoom recording, including the first two interviews with Dr. Petruno-Goguen and Dr. DiLeo, had not been posted to the town YouTube page by press time.

During the public comment period, following Mr. Joyal's interview, two citizens rose to say they wondered why Dr. Forsythe was participating in the interviews as a member of the School Committee (he asked questions and took part in the Committee discussions) when he had publicly announced he was resigning one week earlier. When the vote was being taken, Dr. Forsythe said he would like to respond to those questions. He explained that he had been communicating with Ms. Kast-McBride "to help everything transition smoothly" and he had not yet officially resigned. He had stated he would not participate in the selection of the interim Superintendent "because I think it's important for the new Board to be fully supportive of the new Superintendent." At the same time, he felt it was important for him to be present for the interviews. However, he would be abstaining from the actual vote to decide on a candidate.

There was remarkable agreement among all commenters, both School Committee members and citizens in attendance, about the four candidates. All were most impressed by Dr. Petruno-Goguen, and favorably impressed by Ms. LaPointe but agreed she needs some more experience and training to prepare for the role of superintendent. A motion was made (with a "friendly amendment" to add the usual conditions) to offer Dr. Petruno-Goguen the position, contingent on the successful completion of contract negotiations, and assuring that she was eligible for employment under the regulations of the state retirement system. The Committee voted 3-0-1 to approve the motion, with no nay votes and Dr. Forsythe abstaining.

The Courier asked Ms. Kast-McBride if she could comment on what Superintendent Thad King's current status is, but Ms. Kast-McBride said she was not able to comment.

An Outdoor Movie and a Puppet Show at the Beals Memorial Library

Enjoy some puppet entertainment with Pumpernickel Puppets and a fun showing of The Muppets at the Beals Library on Thursday, August 10.
Photo courtesy of Beals Memorial Library

Play the music, turn out the lights, and enjoy the Muppet Movie and a puppet show at the Winchendon library's first Outdoor Movie Night of the summer! This month, the library will be showing some fantastic, family-friendly films on Thursday nights out on the library lawn. Before each show, there will also be some exciting puppet entertainment! Here's what's coming up this week:

On Thursday, August 10, the library will kick off their annual outdoor movie nights with a screening of The Muppets, starring Jason Segal and Amy Adams. In this musical comedy, a long-time fan must regroup the Muppets in order to save the Muppet Theater from being destroyed by a greedy oil mogul. The movie will begin at sundown.

Before the film begins, come early for some puppet entertainment with Pumpernickel Puppets and their talented puppeteer, John McDonough, at 7:00 p.m. Enjoy a humor and colorful show fit for the whole family!

Also prior to the start of the show, the Friends of the Beals Memorial Library will be running their book sale and concession stand from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Purchase some used books and media for low prices or grab a tasty treat to enjoy during the show. Popcorn and lemonade will be available for purchase from the Youth Changemakers' Sunshine Cafe.

This year's Outdoor Movie Nights are sponsored in part by the Winchendon Cultural Council and the Friends of the Beals Memorial Library. In the event of rain, the movie will be rescheduled to the following day.

All Outdoor Movie Nights at the library are free and open to the public, no strings attached!

The Beals Memorial Library is located at 50 Pleasant Street in Winchendon. For more information, contact the library at 978-297-0300 or visit their website at bealslibrary.org.

Calling All Artists and Non-artist Alike

The Beals Library seeks artists of all abilities (or none at all) to participate in a free, intergenerational Portrait Project. Library Director, Manuel King, shown here holding two examples of how a portrait might turn out, will facilitate the program.
Photo courtesy of Beals Memorial Library

The Beals Memorial Library in Winchendon, MA is looking for artists and non-artists alike to participate in a free, Intergenerational Portrait Project on the consecutive Wednesdays of August 9 and 16 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The project will bring together people of all ages to interact, draw, and then paint each other's portraits in a guided exercise that requires no artistic ability to create beautiful, original artwork.

Session one of this fun and easy process involves two people of diverse generations connecting with one another while simultaneously drawing quick, thumbnail size pencil drawings of each other. The best of these drawings will be enlarged and transferred to a 9" x 12" canvas. Session two will be all about painting the canvases using a limited palette of brightly colored paint, resulting in a work reminiscent of Picasso. Once the canvases have dried, participants will have the option to ink the outlines of their portraits for dramatic effect.

An artist's opening exhibition of the portraits will take place on Wednesday, August 23 at 6:00 p.m. in the Library's auditorium on the second floor of the building. All are invited to this wonderful event highlighting the hidden artistic talent within our community. Refreshments will be served.

The Beals Memorial Library is located at 50 Pleasant Street in Winchendon. For more information contact the library at 978-297-0300 or visit their website at bealslibrary.org.

Space is limited to 20 participants. Sign up by calling the library.

This program is brought to you with federal funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Legislature Passes Supplemental Budget Including $20 Million for Farms

(BOSTON, MA) - August 2, 2023 - On Monday, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a $200 million supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). Among other key priorities, the legislation funds flexible assistance for farms throughout the Commonwealth impacted by recent severe weather events, including flooding and unseasonal deep freezes.

Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton) joined Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland) and Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Monday, July 24 at a farm in Hatfield, Massachusetts to announce that the Senate would be pursuing this funding in the supplemental budget that passed on July 27. A video of the opening remarks from the announcement event can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btAKmIR-_A0&t=2s.

"Quick action on this supplemental budget means we will deliver much-needed support to our hospitals and farms—two sectors that not only account for a lot of jobs in our Commonwealth, but which supply critical services and goods to our residents to keep our state healthy," stated Senate President Spilka. "The flexible funding for farm communities will allow our farmers to continue to recover from the lasting effects of severe weather on their crops, land and livelihoods, and patients will continue to receive care at their community hospitals. I am deeply grateful to Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues, Vice Chair Cindy Friedman, Assistant Vice Chair Jo Comerford, Senate Ways and Means staff, Speaker Mariano, and our colleagues in the House for prioritizing this funding--and to Governor Healey for signing this into law as soon as it crossed her desk."

"In partnership with the House, the Senate has acted decisively to continue to take the necessary steps to keep the economy of the Commonwealth on a firm footing by approving this FY '23 supplemental budget. The passage of this $200 million supplemental budget makes key investments in health care, legalized gaming, and flood disaster relief. We steered $180 million to bolster fiscally strained hospitals, granted an extension for racing and simulcasting to December 15, 2025, and allocated $20 million to aid farmers devastated by the recent floods in western Massachusetts. Those investments, along with the passage of the Fiscal Year 2024 budget, will keep Massachusetts as a leader in the key emerging economic sectors for decades to come," said Senator Rodrigues. "Thanks to the strong leadership of Senate President Spilka, and the commitment of my colleagues in the Senate, we are in solid economic strength as we can now address a tax relief package in the near future."

"I am tremendously grateful that the Legislature is coming to the aid of farmers," said Senator Comerford, Assistant Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. "The $20 million in the fiscal year '23 supplemental budget will support farmers who have experienced massive hardships, from extreme flooding earlier this month to the frosts and freezes earlier this year. Thank you to Senate President Karen Spilka and Chair Michael Rodrigues for their unwavering commitment to farms and farmers, both in the short and long term. This unprecedented funding will be out the door in record time thanks to their quick work."

The bill was sent to the Governor after passage, and signed into law on the morning of August 1.

Joint Committee on Agriculture Celebrates National Farmers Market Week

(Boston, MA) - August 3, 2023 - The Joint Committee on Agriculture, in partnership with the Legislature's Food System Caucus, is excited to recognize and celebrate the 24th annual National Farmer's Market Week (August 6 - August 12). There are over 200 farmers markets across Massachusetts to enjoy.

"Local healthy food is available all season long at every one of our farmer's markets. Come on down!" said Representative Schmid (D-Westport), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Agriculture and member of the Food System Caucus.

Farmers markets are beneficial for both the consumers and the farms who participate. According to the USDA, over 85% of farmers travel less than 50 miles to sell their products at farmers markets, therefore offering produce at their peak flavor and nutritional value. Farmers also benefit economically, as vendors typically see an increase in their farms' overall production, an increase in their number of employees, and they can sell visually imperfect products that may have otherwise gone unsold.

"The best part about farmers markets is that they carry produce when it is at its peak, which means it is at its freshest and tastes the best," said Lauren Kloos, manager of the Franklin Farmers Market. "Shopping at farmers markets supports your local farmers and keeps money in your local town. In Franklin, we also enjoy the large sense of community and how everyone comes out to enjoy the day. They stay to have dinner on the common and enjoy the music."

"Farmers markets provide essential spaces for community building, for restoring connections with agriculture, for improving access to healthy foods, and for supporting local economies," said a spokesperson from the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership. "Strong local farms lead to strong local economies and communities, and farmers markets are where these all collide! Not to mention, they're a blast!"

Massachusetts has made strides in making farmers markets accessible. All Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients can utilize the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) at participating farmers markets. HIP puts money back on your Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card when you use SNAP to buy fresh produce at participating HIP vendors. Depending on the size of your household, your monthly HIP cap may be up to $40, $60, or $80. Using these benefits helps more people access healthy, local produce while also supporting local farms.

"I'm delighted to join the Joint Committee on Agriculture and the legislature's Food System Caucus in celebrating and supporting Commonwealth farmers markets this and every week," said Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), Acting Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Co-Chair of the Food System Caucus. "It is impossible to overstate the importance of farmers markets which provide healthy and delicious produce to residents, strengthen local economies, bolster the finances of farms and farmers, and bring communities together. In the wake of this July's devastating floods and the damage we've seen to local farms, supporting farmers markets and local farm and agricultural businesses is more important than ever."

"Farmers' markets are a vital part of our local food system. They provide opportunities for consumers to directly support and learn more about local farms and businesses, while farmers benefit from having opportunities to sell their products direct to consumers," shared Representative Hannah Kane (R-Shrewsbury), Co-Chair of the Legislature's Food System Caucus. "I am proud to support local farmer's markets and encourage all to buy local."

Please join the Joint Committee on Agriculture and the Food System Caucus in visiting your local farmers market this week to experience all the wonderful products our Massachusetts farmers have to offer.

If you have further questions or inquiries about National Farmer's Market Week or about other agricultural issues or topics in Massachusetts, please email jointcmte-agriculture@malegislautre.gov.

The Winchendon Farmer's Market is open on Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the corner of Front Street and Pleasant Street by Town Hall and the Beals Memorial Library.

Click image to see larger view

Click image to see larger view

Fishing in a less common place.
Seen on camera recently fishing behind "Little Dam" just down stream from Big Dam in some of the shallow exit waters of Lake Monomonac, this clearly practiced and prepared fisherman is seen casting out and what appears to be beginning to reel in a potential catch just behind Little Dam where water levels would normally be very low, except for this summers unseasonably higher than average collective rainfall allowing for more fishing opportunities in normally less accessible places.
Photos by Keith Kent

Town Invites Applicants to Fill Two Vacancies on the School Committee

The Winchendon Board of Selectmen and the Winchendon School Committee are seeking qualified candidates to fill two vacancies on the Winchendon School Committee. The term is through Town elections in May 2024. Applicants interested must be registered voters of the Town of Winchendon. Letters/resumes, including the candidate's background information, are due to be received by 1pm on Thursday, August 10, 2023, to the Board of Selectmen Office, 109 Front Street or via email at mcalandrella@winchendon-ma.gov. Said position will be jointly appointed by the members of the Board of Selectmen and School Committee at a jointly held meeting scheduled for Monday August 14, 2023.

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