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January 27, 2006     Barnstable Patriot
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January 27, 2006
 
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Hopefulbelievesinhigh expectations Dr. Jeffrey Bearden would be 'a champion for all children' By Edward F.Maroney emaroney@barnstablepatriot.com POISED TO RESPOND - Superintendent candidate Dr. Jeffrey Bearden is ready for questions from the school committee at his public interview last Friday night. In basketball terms, you could sayDr.Jeffrey Bearden is looking for an outlet pass from a school system that's rebounded. "It looked to me like the systemhere isin transition," hetold the school committee last Friday night. "You've kind of got over the hump, and need somebody to take the ball and run with it." Theimagefits the assistant superintendent for business for the Maine School Ad- ministrative District No. 1, headquartered in Presque Isle.Duringhisservice at Lor- ingAirForce Base,Bearden's interest in becoming an edu- cator was sparked when the local high school sought a volunteer to coach a basket- ball team. During the public inter- view in the Barnstable High School library, committee members wanted to know what was in Bearden's play- book for dealing with a vari- ety of challenges. The candidate said he served as superintendent of a Maine school system that had been devastated when Loring Air Force Base closed. "Eighty percent of the population left the area,"he recalled. "I needed to go in and try to stabilize things, making sure we stayed posi- tive and focused on kids." In hiscurrentjob,Bearden, who draws up the regional budget and presents it to town officials , had to help one community understand that its sole school had to be closed. Also, he managed the merger of two district middle schools, which in- cluded working closely with both faculties. Bearden, who negotiates teacher contracts for his system, said he has good relationships with union leaders and is proud that it's been seven years since a grievance has been brought to the school committee. He told the committee that his district is a standout in Maine because ofits support for teachers, which includes a two-year mentoring pro- gram for new graduates and inexpensive day care in the buildings for the children of faculty.Also, the district has a fitness center used by stu- dentsthat isavailable to staff before and after school. "We never have a problem with applications,"he said of a system, like Barnstable's, that's expected to experi- ence high turnover as Baby Boomer-aged teachers retire. "We get far more than the neighboring systems." Speaking of systems , Bearden is an advocate of preserving school buildings by taking care of items such as the Heating, Ventila- tion and Air Conditioning (HVAC). "We charge our filters every six weeks," he said, producing a wince or two from committee mem- bers dealing with problems caused by the long-deferred maintenance of Barnstable school buildings. Bearden drew hearty laughter with his humorous response to aquestion about discipline problems ("We don't have any"), but noted that his system has not had an expulsion hearing in the last seven years. "We expect a lot," he said, "not just academically but behaviorally as well. I think kids in general expect to be held to high standards." In his district, Bearden said, high schoolers have the samehomeroom teacher for their four years, ensuring each child has a "significant adult" in his or her school life. He praised the mentor- ing program at Barnstable HoraceMann CharterSchool, inwhichmore than 40teach- ers and support staff are involved. Bearden said the retire- ment community in his dis- trict is a resource. "You have to get them into your schools," he said. His dis- trict does that with weekly lunches at the high school shared by seniors and stu- dents,asenior privilege card that 60-plussers use for free admissionto sportsandother school functions, and an ac- tive volunteer program. Asked to identify a chal- lenge presented by the Barnstable system, Bearden shared what he'd heard while visiting teachers, staff and administrators during the day Friday. "Themessagewasloud and clear from the staff,"he said. "We need to market our suc- cesses. You have a high-per- forming system. Sometimes we're so caught up that we forget how good we are," At the sametime,Bearden said, the system needs to get the word out about its needs. With site-based schools, he said, "you are getting the community involved. The challengeto meisto continue that." Asked how he'd like to be remembered at his retire- ment party 20 years hence, Bearden saidhe'd be happy if peoplesaid "Iwasachampion for all kids." Nancy Lane, assistant su- perintendent for student ser- vices in the Brookline Public Schools, was interviewed for the superintendency Jan.11. The final candidate, Carver Superintendent Dr. Patricia Grenier, was interviewed Tuesday (see related story). On Wednesday, after the Patriot's deadline, the com- mitteewasscheduledtomeet to discussthe candidatesand possibly select one. An article about Wednesday's meet- ing can be found on the Patriot's Web site, www.barnstablepatriot.com. Leadership is hallmarkcareer Dr. Patricia Gre nier says she's not hierarchical By Edward F.Maroney emaroney@barnstablepatriot.com EDVWRD F MARONEY PHOTO NEIGHBORLY INTEREST - Barnstable's commitment to site- based management led Carver Supt. Dr. Patricia Grenier to apply for the school system's superintendency, as did her residence in nearby Harwich Port. When teachers join the Carver school system, each spends a day with a new col- league: Dr. Patricia Grenier, the superintendent. If that sounds too hands- on, balance that impression with Grenier'srecollection of herself as "afiercely indepen- dent principal who worked for a superintendent who never told mewhat to do."That sort of confidence in coworkers is what Grenier said motivates her to offer support as admin- istrators work out their own solutions. Barnstable'scontract school system, with its combination of decision-making at the school level and strong sup- port from the central office , drew Grenier's application to serve as superintendent. "My impression," she told the school committee at her interview Tuesday night, "is that you aretaking (site-based management) more seriously than many systems." Proximity to her home in HarwichPortisanotherreason Gremer, who s also up for the topjob inNeedham,wantsthe Barnstable post. The school committee was scheduled to vote to hire one of three final- ists Wednesday, Jan. 25, after the Patriot' s deadline. "Whether Ilikeit or not, the superintendent's job is 24/7, 365daysayear,"shesaid."Ilike to attend things: school con- certs, plays, sporting events." Having to drive an hour on a Saturday or Sunday is tough, but, she said, "I still do it." Grenier has a bachelor 's degree in special education and a master's in education counseling psychology from Fitchburg State College, as well as a doctorate in educa- tion from Boston College. She teaches courses in leadership at several colleges' graduate programs. Citing the book Good to Great by Jim Collins, Grenier shared some of its lessons, including "having the right people on the bus," "open, direct and honest communica- tion," and the willingness to "embrace conflict." In popularizing those theo- ries in Carver, she said she's found a responsive audience and mentioned two examples. One teacher told her, "I was on the wrong bus in my other system. Now I'm on the right bus." Another teacher said, "I'm on the wrong bus for my career. I'm going to leave teaching." "My accomplishment as an educational leader is to validate people ," Grenier said. "They can do more than theythought they could.It'sa different leadership style.I'm not very hierarchical." The committee has asked all three candidates to talk about atimewhentheytook a risk, and Grenier supplied an example from her first year as superintendent of the Carver system. "It was very clear that our primary school and el- ementary school buildings were working against us for our education programs ," she said. She felt it would be "disingenuous" to wait to speak out until she had more clout in the community, so instead she took town officials to a neighboring community to tour a renovated and ex- panded building. "Then we came back to our facility," she said. A finance committee member who's now a selectman looked at her and said, "OK, you made your point. You don't have to say a word." Grenier doesn't have her newfacility yet,but shesaid all the town's officials agree one must be built.The next step is convincing the taxpayers. The superintendent said Carver, like Barnstable, goes beyond the MCAS in evalu- ating student performance. "There is constant assess- ment of children's progress in literacy," she said. Asked what she hoped her legacy here might be, Grenier said,"Routinely, people would identify Barnstable as an ex- emplarysystem.Ihope people would say I was respectful, passionate in my work, and they were never disappointed in my work for the district." ^^^^fc ISi^T "3 ^ ^¦ £L~,«~- / i m ^^^ M^S ¦ ¦ ^1 m EMQWM mfc * Qual' f i ed Dedicated Faculty SBHB* ~^ • Art, Music, Athletics & Computer Education ^ ^ m • Affordable Tuition £P1 M ^V «t • French taught in all grades I ' : ^ » ! ft,., • Low Student- Teacher Ratio £ J ^PP ^(^ k, • Excellent Academic Program W^ Financial Aid and Scholarships Openings Still Available *9ri f/ Please Call ToArrange a Personal Tour y Contact Headmaster Fred Caldwell at i4ini ..i i.iuii . iuiiiiJI 508- 790-0114 Accredited by AISNE and EFCA Where A Christian Education Shapes A Lifetime TRINITY CHRIS TIA N ACADEM Y 979 Mary Dunn Road Barns/able, MA 02630 508- 790-0114 Watch For Our February Open House ¦ • ; "¦":' ' i . ¦ " I ^^^^^^^^^ m Accepting New Patients ^ B^ ^B ^ ^^ ^B Gordon Goodman,M.D., Ph.D. W^ff ll Endocrinology ^^H^^^KL ^^I^^H * Board Certified in Internal Medicine and ^^H^^^ElNti^^^^H Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ^^H^^^^^H^^^^B * Residency in Internal Medicine and pi Endocrinology at the University ^^^^HH| HHHH Michigan Medical Center WjR J|U • Medical Degree from the Universit y of ^^^^H^^^^^^^ H Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA Sewer pipe... CONTINUED FROM PAGE A:1 quest, EOEA did not rule out future use, but made clear that any plans would need a full-blown Environmental Impact Report. DPW Director Mark Ells said he was pleased overall with the decision, but it will prompt new discussion on how to handle the remaining 800,000 gallons of effluent per day needed to accommodate planned sewer expansion. "It was very positive," Ells said in an interview Tuesday. "It defers the issue of use of the property to a future deter- mination and leaves us an opportunity to answer any questions." For Ells and other town of- ficials attempting to address wastewater demands, that expensive process willprompt new discussion on other al- ternatives. Lands at Cape Cod Community College and Barnstable Municipal Airport have been eyed bythe town as options, and EOEA suggests those be investigated. Representatives from the town and college have dis- cussed the possibility of adis- charge on school grounds, and more talks are expected. The college is interested in tying onto the sewer system. Ells said that the cost of a full EIR for McManus may lead to greater consideration for the other options. The44-acre siteiscommon- lyreferred to asthe McManus land, but also incorporates acreage from a separate land bank purchase from the Dav- enport family. Thedecisionalsomakesclear thattheopenspacestatusneeds to be clarified. As a land bank property,developmentlimited to uses specified in the Open Space Preservation Act. Again, the decision does not rule out the possibility of future use,but more informa- tion would be needed.