EASTHAMPTON — After less than one hour of discussion, the School Committee unanimously voted Monday night to offer a one-year interim superintendent job to the current leader of the Quaboag Regional School District who once oversaw the Worcester Public Schools for six years.

“That was pretty easy,” Cynthia Kwiecinski, chairperson of the Easthampton School Committee, said at the meeting after members agreed that Maureen F. Binienda is the best choice for the job. “I had a feeling it wouldn’t be a long night … as most of our notes were identical.”

Binienda, who holds master’s degrees in education from Harvard University and Fitchburg State College, is currently the interim superintendent at Quaboag Regional School District. Her term with the Warren school district ends June 30.

In her cover letter to the committee, she explained that in her current position, she supervises and manages the daily operation for 1,200 students and 200 staff. With a more limited budget, she noted that she was also working as the district’s director of human resources, the secretary to the School Committee and the 504 district coordinator, a position which creates personalized accommodations to address the needs of a child based on their disability.

School Committee member Laura Scott said that the district was very fortunate that Binienda applied for the position and felt that the candidate was coherent and thoughtful on the breadth of diversity.

“I found her to be incredibly impressive,” Scott said.

Prior to Quaboag, Binienda worked as the superintendent of Worcester Public Schools for six years. In working in the school district of the state’s second largest city, Binienda stated in her packet to the committee that she “provided a safe learning environment” for 24,000 students and 5,000 staff. She also helped manage a $417 million budget.

Member Sarah Hunter said that she initially had some concerns about Binienda coming from a district with 55 schools to Easthampton’s two schools, but that dissipated after her interview.

“I feel like she seems to be someone who is going to be kind of aware of her realm and is not necessarily going to be getting involved too much in sort of the nitty-gritty of everybody’s department. … she had good boundaries,” said Hunter.

Committee member Ben Hersey said Binienda stood out among the other candidates for a number of reasons, including with how she kept refocusing on how students were doing. He felt she would help the city heal and reflected on how during her interview she mentioned how “it was OK” to be criticized and that she could handle it.

“I feel like because we have a, you know, pretty volatile situation in Easthampton right now, I think she did not seem like someone who would be bothered or troubled by the difficulties that might come up,” said Hersey. “I feel like she will be able to handle whatever kind of heat comes her way and will lead us in a productive way.”

Hersey was referring to the committee’s controversial failed spring search to find a permanent superintendent that made national news. The committee in late April agreed to put the superintendent search on hold in favor of an interim leader.

Committee member Marin Goldstein said that Binienda was the strongest of the five candidates. The committee also interviewed Roland R. Joyal Jr., executive director of Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative in West Springfield; Mary Jane Rickson, principal of Murdock High School in Winchendon; Marlene A. DiLeo, superintendent at Ware Public Schools; and Sarah Mochak, Easthampton’s director of special education.

“She really brought a lot broader perspective, but also a very sort of detailed and focused attention across a very full career that I think would bring her into Easthampton in a way that would really be confident, but open and engaging and really reaching across all the different stakeholders in a very positive way with the community, with our teachers with students. I just felt that she was focused and attentive,” said Goldstein.

Following the vote, Kwiecinski said that she would reach out to Binienda to offer her the job.

Pending successful contract negotiations, the School Committee is slated to announce a new interim superintendent at Tuesday night’s virtual meeting at 6 p.m.

Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com.]]>