State input offends board

HOLYOKE - School Committee members said they were unhappy to learn the state education commissioner will be sending a panel to interview superintendent candidates today , but said they will not fight the move.

"It is like Big Brother watching you," said Mary C. Plant, a committee member. "This letter really offended me."

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester sent the committee a letter on Oct. 27 saying a panel of three of his employees will interview the three candidates Tuesday in Marlborough.

The panel will ask candidates their plans to turn around city schools and move them out of underperforming status.

Before the Committee appoints a superintendent on Nov. 10, Chester said he would like to share recommendations on the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate.

The committee selected three finalists for the job on Oct. 20. The candidates are David L. Dupont, principal of Holyoke High School; Mary-Elizabeth Beach, Ware school superintendent; and Sonia Diaz, executive vice president for curriculum and assessment for the Center for Educational Leadership and Technology in Marlborough.

Members said they were offended Chester did not share his intentions to interview candidates until a few days before they conducted interviews themselves and were especially concerned that he may try to influence their decision on who they will select.

But Mayor Michael J. Sullivan said Chester told him he would not rank the candidates or tell them who to hire.

But member Howard B. Greaney Jr. questioned if that was the case after reading a sentence from the letter aloud: "It is vital that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education have a voice in the selection process."

Monday, the committee rejected a suggestion to vote against Chester's proposal in a 7-3 vote. Some members said they were not against department officials interviewing candidates and others said they want to cooperate with Chester.