Divided Amherst school panels give Geryk a year
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AMHERST - Two school committees, unable to agree on who should be superintendent, voted to extend the contract of interim Superintendent Maria Geryk at the end of a four-hour meeting Sunday.
Geryk received five of the nine votes on the Regional School Committee. The other finalists, John Bayless and Gerald Kohn, received two votes each on the first ballot, and Bayless received four on subsequent ones.
But even though Geryk earned a 5-4 majority on this committee, the choice of a superintendent must also be approved by the Union 26 Committee, which includes three members each from Amherst and Pelham. Geryk could not muster more than three votes there.
Rick Hood, chairman of the regional committee, was the only Amherst member to vote for Geryk. All members from Pelham, Leverett and Shutesbury voted for her.
Geryk has been interim superintendent for 11 months, and held the same position for four months in 2009. When her contract is up July 1, she will be given a new one-year contract as superintendent, but will receive an evaluation by next Jan. 1, the committees decided.
Sixty people crowded the room at Town Hall at the start of the meeting, and by the end about 45 witnessed some high drama as committee members tried to get someone to change his or her vote. Member Irv Rhodes of Amherst ultimately proposed the alternative of a one-year contract.
The 10 members of the two committees took turns speaking about the three finalists.
Kristen Luschen of Shutesbury said the emails she received from the public, and the forms filled out after the three interviews, were overwhelmingly in favor of Geryk. Kip Fonsh of Leverett said Geryk "stepped into the breach at considerable personal and professional cost and maintained her composure and integrity."
Debbie Gould of Pelham praised Geryk's "collaborative leadership" and said she has built trust and support among teachers. Kathy Weilerstein of Pelham said teachers see her as "inspirational, approachable, yet firm and decisive" and praised her outreach to campus and business officials. Nora Maroulis of Pelham also voted for Geryk.
Catherine Sanderson and Rhodes voted for Bayless. Sanderson cited his experience as a superintendent in California, his dedication to students from low-income families, and his ability to "bring people together." Rhodes cited his experience managing school budgets and his promotion of an award-winning literacy program.
Rob Spence and Steve Rivkin of Amherst voted for Kohn, largely based on his 26 years as a superintendent, mostly recently in Harrisburg, Pa. But several other members savaged Kohn's performance at his interview, which Rhodes called "abysmal."
Sanderson said she couldn't vote for Geryk, citing her failure to meet with parents of children in special education, her lateness in presenting budgets, and declines in enrollment, particularly in kindergarten. Rhodes said Geryk's "biggest challenge is an inability to hear negative feedback."
Speaking last, Hood had the swing vote on the Regional School Committee. He said that although Bayless "would make a great superintendent," Geryk got his vote because she has started many valuable initiatives and has the support of teachers.
After the first ballot, things got testy. Rivkin said Geryk has had an "imperial superintendency," not consulting enough with the School Committee, and "disregarded" the findings of a consultant who reviewed the math program. Weilerstein objected to putting Geryk "under a microscope," adding, "the staff is so invigorated and inspired to improve themselves, it's shocking we're not supporting that."
Rivkin blasted the "weird system of governance" that gives three members from much smaller Pelham the same representation as Amherst on the Union 26 Committee. Gould said the committee "hasn't blocked anything," and that Geryk received majority support on the Regional School Committee.
There was a second ballot, and a third, with no resolution. Gould requested a break before the third and, when it was her turn to vote, hesitated before affirming her preference for Geryk.
"How long do we go on like this?" Gould asked. "Do we go on all night?"
Rhodes was the member who shifted his vote, but only on the condition that Geryk receive a one-year contract. Fonsh said it's vital to set up clear goals for Geryk "or it's a setup for failure." He voted for the compromise but expressed reservations about "putting the community through this yet again" after spending about $60,000 on the search.
Weilerstein said this compromise amounts to "a statement of non-support" for Geryk. "It doesn't show confidence, but I guess that's the whole point," she said.
Geryk was unavailable for comment.
