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KEVIN GUTTING

Maria Geryk, Amherst Regional Schools interim superintendent, holds a "coffee with the superintendent" meeting with the public Friday afternoon in her office at the Amherst Regional Middle School.

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KEVIN GUTTING

Amherst interim Superintendent Maria Geryk, second from left, listens to a comment by Debbi Friedlander, right, during a "coffee with the superintendent" meeting with the public Friday afternoon in her office at the Amherst Regional Middle School.

AMHERST - As interim Superintendent Maria Geryk welcomed 16 people into her office Friday, she pointed to 64 sets of eyes on her wall, self-portraits by fourth-graders in an art class at Fort River School.

"This is our audience, our conscience," she said.

Less than two weeks ago, Geryk was catapulted into the job by Superintendent Alberto Rodriguez's sudden exit just prior to his midyear review, which was reported to be rife with serious complaints by high-ranking staff.

She was interim superintendent for four months last spring, after the equally sudden exit of co-interim superintendents Alton Sprague and Helen Vivian, and this time she'll have the job for 16 months.

"Change can be tough for people, but it's a real opportunity to think about where we're going," she said. "If things are shaken up, we can move forward in a new way."

Geryk plans to have scheduled, informal chats with parents every other week. She's planning to vary the location and time to involve as many people as possible, she said.

"It was a nice, casual conversation," said parent Meg Rosa afterwards. "She works well with everybody, and that's comforting. If attitude starts at the top, she's got a great attitude."

Parent Christine Gray-Mullen described Geryk afterwards as "charismatic and nurturing." Of the 16 people who came to her office, the only men were School Committee candidates Rick Hood and Ernie Dalkas.

A parent herself

Geryk is a parent herself, with a daughter in fifth grade and a 5-year-old. She said she grew up in Somers, Conn., graduated from Westfield State College, and worked in special education and counseling before coming to Amherst eight years ago. She was director of pupil personnel services, which includes special education, health, early childhood, intervention and counseling.

These days, after Rodriguez's leaving, Geryk said she has a sense of pushing a reset button.

"We're all feeling moments of shakiness," she said. "I'm trying to work through this process with a sense of integrity and making decisions professionally, so if my mother were watching she'd be proud of me, and if my kids in 20 years could look at how I conduct myself, they'd feel I did the best I could."

Geryk said the district will review the math curriculum, which has received some criticism, but praised non-academic programs such as art and music.

"Every child has a passion for something that makes school enjoyable so they're able to trudge through something challenging," she said. "I know I need that in my day, and kids deserve the same thing."

She said she went to hear the high school chorale earlier in the day. "You hear those voices and you feel like crying because it's so beautiful. It made my day."

The future is now

As she charts the future of the school, Geryk said the district has to think through its public relations protocols, and she plans to make better use of its Web site.

Asked if she'll be a candidate for the permanent superintendent job, Geryk said she doesn't know yet but will think about it and see the level of support she gets.

"I like the job," she said. "I find it challenging but not overwhelming."

Above all, she said, she won't forget about children's needs, and those 64 pairs of eyes on her wall will help remind her.

"We're going to try to be positive and move forward," she said. "We're talking about our babies, not making buttons in a factory. We've been in a hard place, and we need to frame it positively."