EASTHAMPTON — School funding, career development and mental health. As the 2025-2026 school year is about to begin, new Easthampton Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Balch is ready to the tackle the challenges facing children, parents and educators.
“I’m so honored and grateful to be here …,” Balch said during a recent interview as she settles into the role of leading the city’s schools. “It’s my first superintendency and I come with a lot of experiences and I’m really excited to share those experiences, and really build on the strong foundation that’s here.”
Before officially taking the role on July 1, Balch shadowed her predecessor, interim Superintendent Maureen Binienda throughout June, to learn the ins and outs of the job for the Easthampton Public Schools (EPS).
Balch emphasized that as she gets started in her new role she has something in common with the 1,400 students who attend school in the district.
“Learning. I’ve met with several parents, school leadership and really getting a sense of what’s going on, what’s happening, working and then what can we improve on,” she said.
The feedback from the community will be put into her 30-60-90-day entry plan, an outline to help Balch and the EPS community become acquainted with each other.
“It starts with listening and getting a sense and layout of what’s happening in the district,” Balch said about the plan. “Talking to teachers, staff, students. Part of my entry plan is really centered around the student voice because that is so powerful. Hearing from kids, what’s going well and how are your school experiences.”
While becoming integrated into the community, EPS and Balch’s current focus is to set the stage for the upcoming school year. They are focusing on providing professional development and ensuring all educators are licensed.
The 30-60-90-plan will focus on, “Building relationships, making sure that every student is seen, heard and valued in our classrooms and that we’re providing them with a world class education. That is so important in this ever-changing world. We need to continue changing our practices in the classroom to meet today’s learner. At the end of the day that’s all that matters. I always say ‘student-centered decisions come first.’ Our work is to provide students with high-quality educational experiences to make sure whatever they choose in life, they have the tools and resources to be able to do so.”
Balch looks forward to, “Getting to know every student’s name, who they are and what they’re hopes and dreams are. It excites me so much to be able to know I will know every kid in this district.”
Balch served at Springfield Public Schools for 20 years, beginning her career as a paraeducator. Throughout her time working in Springfield, she returned to school, receiving a master’s in special education and teaching from Cambridge College and a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
“For me, going back to school and being a constant student myself is so important because you learn best practices, research and cutting-edge methods. Figuring out what’s happening across the nation, not just in Massachusetts …,” Balch said. “Getting my master’s in special education was a real pivotal moment because you really find out who you are, what your belief systems are and that sense of inclusion and making sure that education is serving all kids.”
She worked in numerous positions at SPS, including assistant principal at Springfield High School of Commerce, senior administrator of performance and excellence and a stint last summer as interim superintendent. Balch credits the many mentors she had in Springfield who helped her find her passion in administration. Part of what inspired her to get involved in administration is the opportunities these positions offer to connect with hundreds of students.
“You can impact so many more students when you take on an administrative role,” she said. “As a teacher I had about 144 students in my case load and I thought, ‘wow, if I move to being an assistant principal then I have the entire grade that I can impact.’ Then you go to central office and your decisions are impacting 2,400 teachers.”
The superintendent role in Easthampton peaked Balch’s interest because of the its tight-knit community, strong educational foundation and opportunities to grow. Balch discussed multiple debated topics in public education including school funding, student personal and career development, social media and mental health and artificial intelligence (AI).
“I think funding is a challenge,” she said. “When the federal government is making decisions about what money gets sent and when, you’re sort of at a standstill at the district level, seeing if you have the funds to do so.”
In the coming years, Balch will work closely with the Easthampton School Committee to work around funding options. Additionally, Balch highlighted the necessity to work on student development.
“They’re the future. You’re looking at the future and you as an adult can impact the future lives of students. It’s important to give them these powerful experiences to advocate for themselves and to be able to communicate effectively,” she said.
Balch hopes to create a pipeline in public schools, creating opportunities for students who are interested in becoming educators. The pipeline would set up high-school level internship programs where students can learn about the education system.
With personal development, Balch noted the need to teach proper communicative abilities, especially in a time where the internet is developing rapidly.
“We need to make sure they are responsible digital citizens, we need to be teaching students how to navigate the complexities of relationships and self-advocacy,” she said. “Not only are we giving them the education that they need in the classroom but how are we teaching them how to be a citizen.”
While Balch does not condone using AI for writing or cheating on any school work, she thinks there needs to be education around its use and how it can be used properly.
“I think it has a place,” she said about AI. “There’s a lot of fear around AI but I think it’s a question of how do we set up and give kids the expectation for the use of AI. It’s about letting them know when it’s appropriate, when it’s not and how can it be used as a tool.”
Along with AI and communication, Balch hopes to continue upon the foundation EPS offers for mental health counseling.
Balch credits her role as a mother, constantly helping her understanding of children, “Having school-aged children really matters to me because when you’re in the schools, you see what kids are experiencing, what they’re learning and you also get to see them interacting with their friends.”
One of the many reasons Balch loves working with kids, is the opportunities it provides to view the world from their perspective.
“It keeps you young,” she said. “You remember your own experiences and those shape how you show up in a space as an adult. It’s really important to remember that and to grow from that, whether you had a really good educational experience or you didn’t. You have the opportunity to replicate that for kids or change that for kids.”
“Their truthfulness and perspective is so important,” Balch said about working with kids. “We’re here to give them the best educational experiences and if we’re not asking them what they’re experiences are like then it’s really a missed opportunity for us. They’re so full of joy and you see them so full of hope.”
Balch will be hosting listening sessions on the second floor of the Municipal Building at 50 Payson Ave., to hear from the community at the following times: Wednesday, Sept. 10, 5-7 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 20, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 25, 5-7 p.m.; and Friday, Oct.10, 4-6 p.m.
Sam Ferland can be reached at sferland@gazettenet.com
