It is with considerable sadness, regret and not a little anger that I bear witness to the departure of Superintendent Maria Geryk from the Amherst-Pelham School District.
Superintendent Geryk’s departure is an unfortunate event for the district, its students, staff members and the larger communities served. It is also not a surprise suddenly thrust upon all concerned.
While some individuals would have us believe in the myth that Geryk’s hire was the consequence of an orchestrated and devious plot engendered by a local political elite, one could also assert that her departure was the result of an ongoing strategic effort on the part of a very different political elite to oust her.
Sadly, all of this obscures the real achievements and accomplishments of Superintendent Geryk.
First, she established quite early in her tenure an administrative staff second to none – talented, competent, intelligent, articulate, devoted and committed to the vision Geryk pronounced from the beginning.
Second, that vision included a concerted effort to address one of the most pressing problems confronting American public education and certainly education in the district. And that is the growing resource divide among the families that reside in the district, causing youngsters to enter through the schoolhouse door with an astonishing inequality of resources necessary for academic success.
Geryk’s vision included creating and establishing programs and structures that would begin to address this situation and provide youngsters with a chance, an opportunity to succeed academically.
Despite those efforts, we must recognize that schools can do only so much. Whether we commit to ending systemic poverty, institutional racism and discrimination or intolerance, the entire community must enlist in the effort.
Ironically, Geryk was often bitterly criticized for her failure to properly and adequately address issues of racism, discrimination and inequality.
While probably falling short, according to her most vocal critics, if they had stopped shouting they may have discovered what was happening in the district, not in spite of Geryk, but because of her.
The Amherst school district has long been viewed by some parents as an unfriendly and unwelcoming institution.
Geryk, with staff assistance, created and stabilized a Family Center that would serve as a model for others. Not only was this a physical presence in the schoolhouse, it was a vehicle to network and engage parents and families out in the communities. Vocal critics apparently thought it was not enough.
Geryk was also at the helm during a period of catastrophic and disastrous revenue shortfalls. Due to the decisions made by many families, flights to charter schools and private schools escalated, as has happened throughout the state.
Much-needed funds have been depleted as a result, forcing the administration to engage in constant fiscal crisis management. Additionally, declining enrollments brought about by demographic shifts have further eroded the financial foundation.
That many, admittedly not all, programs were maintained is a credit to Geryk’s leadership and the creative and resourceful thinking of her administrative staff, building administration and teacher and support staff. Any new superintendent will be faced with these same financial constraints. The community must recognize what the charter school model and movement is doing to public education.
Much has been made of Geryk’s relationships with members of her building administrative team and classroom teachers. What we actually know is often only a tiny fragment of the full picture. Schools most often reflect their communities. How much consensus is there in our communities? How much contentiousness?
Finally, what happens next? There have been references made to finding a “super” superintendent. Before we examine the potential pool of candidates, the question to ask initially is this: What is there about our community that it takes someone of superhuman attributes to not only accomplish the tasks at hand, but to survive the battles?
We as members of these communities must ask ourselves whether we spoke up when we should have to support Geryk.
Did we contribute by our actions or inactions to the swirling toxic stew that brought an end to her tenure? Is there a gap between who we think we are as a community and what we actually are?
Kip Fonsh of Leverett is a former chair of the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee.