Interviews with Finalists Will Be Aired on WCAT

By Joseph Domelowicz

For the Transcript

The Winthrop School Committee began interviews this week of the four finalist candidates to be the district’s new superintendent, with two candidates being interviewed on Tuesday night in an open, non-televised session and the other two set for interviews on Friday night.

According to School Committee member Bill Holden, who chaired the screening committee, the video tapes of all four interviews will be broadcast on WCAT, once all four interviews are completed.

However, the sessions on Tuesday night and the interviews scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) night, all were scheduled to take place during an open session of the school committee, at the multi-purpose room at the Cummings Elementary School on Pauline Street.

“In addition, all four candidates had the opportunity to tour the school district this week and site visits with each of the candidates at their current posts will be scheduled over the next two weeks,” said Holden. “The goal is to have someone hired by May 1 and effectively take the reins on July 1, when Dr. Lisi’s contract is up.”

Holden noted that once the interviews and site visits are completed the School Committee will vote to hire one candidate contingent upon a successfully negotiated contract..

The four finalists for the position include local resident John Macero, a principal of the Whelan School in Revere; Earl Metzler Jr. a current principal at North Quincy High School; Maureen Bingham, previously the Interim Superintendent of Schools in Swampscott and Paul Schlictman, Coordinator of Research, Testing and Assessment for the Lowell School District.

Holden noted that though Lisi’s contract with the district is effectively over on July 1, he has offered to remain in contact with the district to assist with the transition for the new superintendent.

“I have to say that he has been a tremendous asset to the district this year,” said Holden. “We could have wound up with something that would just be a figurehead, but he has really gotten involved, he’s been at all meetings, given his advice and really been a force for the district.”