Easthampton names three finalists for school superintendent

Three finalists have been named for school superintendent of the Easthampton Public School District.

Three finalists have been named for school superintendent of the Easthampton Public School District. GAZETTE FILE PHOTO

By ALEXA LEWIS

Staff Writer

Published: 11-13-2024 4:20 PM

EASTHAMPTON — The search for the Easthampton Public School District’s new superintendent is moving swiftly along, and three finalists for the position have been named. A final decision is expected to be announced in December.

At a School Committee meeting on Tuesday night, members of the Superintendent Search Committee announced that, after a series of initial meetings and interviews, they had selected three final contenders for the role: Michelle Balch, Cynthia Kennedy and Mary Jane Rickson. In the coming weeks, these candidates will engage in site visits and public interviews, which are in the process of being scheduled.

“As we all know, the role of superintendent is crucial to the success of our students, educators, administrators and the entire community,” said Hannah Sullivan, the high school parent representative on the search committee, at the meeting. “A superintendent is not only an administrator, but a visionary leader who helps steer our district towards excellence, fostering an environment where every student can thrive.”

Sullivan said that the finalists each “brings a unique set of strengths and experiences to the table,” and are “ready to take on the challenges ahead.”

The position has been filled on an interim basis by Maureen Binienda after a failed search in the spring of 2023.

Michelle Balch

Michelle Balch, of Feeding Hills, is currently the chief instructional officer for Springfield Public Schools’ Office of Instruction, where she has led the district’s development and implementation of student-centered instruction, coaches school leadership teams, leads professional development, conducts strategic planning and more since 2023.

She has 19 years of experience in educational leadership in the Springfield Public School District, where she has served as a special education teacher and assistant principal, as well as an interim superintendent in 2024 and other high-level administrative roles.

During her time as chief instructional officer, Balch has managed a $21 million budget, secured $2.2 million in funding for professional development, led a district administrator pipeline program and launched the “Portrait of a Graduate” strategic planning framework based on community input.

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Balch received her bachelor’s degree from Westfield State College, a Master of Education with a focus on moderate disabilities from Cambridge College and a doctor of education in leadership in schooling from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Cynthia Kennedy

Cynthia Kennedy, of Ludlow, brings experience as an educational leader who has worked on curriculum and instruction, professional development, school security, organizational leadership and more.

Currently, Kennedy serves as assistant superintendent of the Athol-Royalston Regional School District, a position she assumed in July of 2022. In this position, she has been responsible for curriculum review, purchasing, implementation and monitoring, district budgeting, recruiting, hiring and overseeing educators, grant management, data-driven decision-making and other duties.

She has also served as director of intervention and acceleration, principal of Royalston Community School and ARRSF director of Title I for this district. She has also served as a fifth grade teacher and interim principal for Chicopee Public Schools, elementary school principal for Westfield Public Schools, educational consultant for CMKLeadership and lead dissertation advisor for the University of New England. She boasts skills in educator evaluation and coaching, special education compliance, grant management and more.

Kennedy received her bachelor’s in elementary education from Westfield State in 2002, her Master of Education in education administration from Springfield College in 2006, her doctor of education in educational leadership from the University of New England in 2018 and a certificate in advanced education leadership in leadership for excellence and equity from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education in 2020.

Mary Jane Rickson

Mary Jane Rickson, from West Warren, brings eight years of experience as an assistant superintendent, three years of experience as a principal and six years of experience as an assistant principal across various school districts. She also has 13 years of experience as an educator in Springfield Public Schools and has served as the interim superintendent of Granby Public Schools since earlier this year.

Rickson is experienced in administrative work in career and technical education, developing and implementing curriculum, obtaining and managing grants and ensuring accountability and compliance on a district level, among other skills.

Rickson has held teaching and leadership positions in Springfield Public Schools, the Athol-Royalston Regional School District, Maynard Public Schools, North Brookfield Public Schools, Winchedon Public Schools, and the Hampshire Regional School District.

Her most recent role before becoming interim superintendent of Granby Public Schools was assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment for the Hampshire Regional, where she analyzed student performance data to inform curriculum development and implementation, as well as overseeing professional development initiatives.

Rickson received her bachelor’s government from Western New England University in 1990 and her Master of Education in educational leadership from American International College in 2009.

Dates for upcoming site visits and public interviews are expected to be made available soon.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.