EASTHAMPTON — During second of three superintendent finalist interviews conducted Wednesday night, Mary Jane Rickson impressed School Committee members with her ability to easily explain complex administrative tasks.

For their final interviews, the three finalists — Cynthia Kennedy, Mary Jane Rickson and Michelle Balch — are asked to conduct site visits at Easthampton High School and the Mountain View School, followed by a seven-question public interview and meet and greet. Interviews were set to conclude on Thursday night with Balch (Kennedy interviewed Tuesday), after which a final decision can be expected as early as next week.

Rickson, currently interim superintendent of Granby Public Schools, expressed readiness to bring her leadership and administrative skills to a permanent post in Easthampton.

In answering the interview questions, which were given to all three candidates in advance of their interviews, Rickson emphasized the importance of building trust and accountability among educators, students and staff members, as well as ensuring that schools are comfortable collecting and effectively utilizing data.

“Really being part of the community is important to me,” Rickson said. “I really try to make sure I stay part of the conversation across the board.”

The questions covered topics such as the district’s strengths and challenges, removing any barriers for students, approaches to conflict and budgeting, and making good use of data and technology in learning.

One of the district’s main strengths that became apparent to Rickson was Easthampton’s plentiful creative outlets for students, and robust extracurricular activities. She commended the schools for having “something for everyone,” which she noticed throughout her site visits has kept students engaged and interested in their learning. If offered the position, Rickson said it would be a priority to continue seeking new funding avenues to maintain and expand such activities.

Additionally, Rickson emphasized the growing importance of providing robust social-emotional support for students of all ages, as rates of stress and anxiety continue to climb in schools nationwide. She stated that Easthampton does a good job of making students feel safe and supported, but as the needs of students grow, so must the capacities of the district.

For Rickson, this includes keeping students with disabilities integrated in the classroom and school activities, while also offering the support and interventions they need without removing them from their peers and lessons. In particular, she noted the efficacy of giving students space to advocate for themselves and support one another, forging both independence and social bonds.

“Students supporting each other has really worked,” Rickson said. “And I think moving forward, I’d love to see students do more inclusionary social things.”

In Granby, Rickson saw great success with “unified basketball,” in which students of all backgrounds and abilities come together to play, as well as the “best buddies” peer mentorship program.

What impressed School Committee members the most were Rickson’s detailed but digestible explanations of budgeting processes, procuring grants, and using technology and data to target programming more effectively.

Rickson explained that she has many years of experience with both budgeting and assessment data. During her time in Athol as director of curriculum and instruction, she said she had great success implementing a “data cycle” which involved assessing students, applying interventions where needed, and assessing them again to see which interventions were most effective.

She also noted that, while screen time and critical thinking skills during a time when technology is constantly becoming more prevalent are concerns that must be monitored in classrooms, technology can be a good way for educators to collect, share and apply data.

“Having that data is important, but we need to show teachers how to use that data,” said Rickson. “And once they get taught how to use the data, how are they doing to translate that to the classroom?”

School Committee Chair Laura Scott commended Rickson for her explanation of data, saying “that might be the most accessible explanation of how to employ data in the administration of public education I’ve ever heard.”

Rickson also emphasized that building strong leadership and a positive school culture comes down to support and accountability among community members. From students and parents to teachers and administrators, Rickson said that open lines of communication, clear expectations and following through on discussions are paramount in building strong relationships.

“When you say you’re going to do something, that has to happen,” said Rickson. “Creating a positive culture takes time, but I think it takes patience, and it takes a willingness to collaborate.”

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