PEABODY — Joseph Mastrocola has been hired as the new superintendent of the Peabody School District after a unanimous vote by the Peabody School Committee Thursday night.
Mastrocola worked as the assistant superintendent in Peabody from 2007 to 2010 before leaving to become superintendent at Groton-Dunstable Regional School District.
"I am just absolutely honored to be selected by the School Committee to be the next educational leader of Peabody public schools," Mastrocola said yesterday in an interview. "Knowing the majority of school administrators, principals, the leadership team, and I've worked with the School Committee in the past, all these things give me the opportunity to get things done efficiently" from the beginning.
Thursday's vote was the culmination of a yearlong process that concluded with three full-day interviews for three finalists.
"All three (final) candidates were excellent ... the professionalism and ability was off the charts," said Tom Rossignoll, the School Committee member who also chaired the superintendent search committee. "What pushed Joe ahead was that he is familiar with Peabody and he wanted to be here more than any other place. He chose to leave a great situation to, in his words, 'come home,' and I think that speaks a lot of his commitment and his character."
School Committee members were impressed with Mastrocola's knowledge of state curriculum standards, new technology, his experience as a superintendent, his ability to evaluate teachers and craft budgets as well as qualities like communication and leadership.
"He has a very good rapport with the staff, a nice way about him, and he includes people in the decision-making process," said School Committee member Beverley Ann Griffin Dunne. "I always heard very positive things about Joe Mastrocola when he was here, and I heard that again and again in Groton, too: how he can bring people together, his ability to listen to people and to make good decisions."
The process to hire Mastrocola began when former Superintendent C. Milton Burnett announced his retirement last March. A search committee was formed, and 22 ré©sumé©s received. However, none of the candidates was deemed viable, so the committee hired former Salem Superintendent Herb Levine as interim leader.
The three finalists in the second round were David Fischer, the interim head of Salem Academy Charter School's lower school; James Kelleher, the Scituate Public Schools interim superintendent; and Mastrocola. School Committee members then visited each of their school districts, invited them for a grueling full-day interview in which each candidates met with staff, union officials, PTO members, students, principals and concluded with a multi-hour public interview conducted by the School Committee.
"It was a long day, but it actually validated the thoughts I had about the wonderful teachers, parents, principals, School Committee members and all the stakeholders that make up the district," Mastrocola said.
Kelleher ultimately withdrew his name from consideration, and Fischer had his interview day Thursday. After that interview, the committee thought it had enough information and voted unanimously for Mastrocola.
"Part of the committee wanted to move this along in case another candidate dropped out, is what I honestly think," Rossignoll said, when asked why the vote was taken so soon after the final interview. "I personally felt comfortable with the decision. I knew both candidates well enough going through this (interview process) two times with each candidate."
School Committee member Jarrod Hochman voted for and highly endorsed Mastrocola's hiring, but caused a stir toward the end of Thursday's meeting when he called the selection process "tainted."
Asked to elaborate yesterday, he backed off those words and seemed to regret having said them.
"There were a few things that occurred that I didn't agree with, but it doesn't rise to the level of tainted, and I'll leave it at that," he said.
He said he has apologized to committee members personally for his word choice and planned a public apology at the next School Committee meeting.
"I have no qualms with Joe Mastrocola, and my statement had nothing to do with him at all," he said. "I have full faith in Joe's ability to lead us as a district, and my statement does not reflect on the School Committee, city or the (superintendent) search committee. Regrettable is not a strong enough word to express how poor a word choice that was."
Other committee members commended the process as open, transparent and thorough.
"I thought the process was very well thought out and executed in a very professional manner," Dunne said. "I am very comfortable with how the candidates were brought to us."
Mastrocola's contract has not been negotiated. Levine, the interim superintendent, makes $144,000 per year. He will stay on until July 1, at which point Mastrocola will take over. Mastrocola plans to regularly meet with Levine to make the transition as smooth as possible.
"I still have a lot to learn about what's been going on there the last two years," Mastrocola said. "(Levine) is a great asset for the school community, and I look forward into tapping into that knowledge."
Joseph Mastrocola
Education
Candidate for a Doctor of Education at Northeastern University
Masters in School Administration from Salem State University
Employment
Superintendent, Groton-Dunstable Regional School District, 2010 - present
Assistant Superintendent, Peabody Public Schools, 2007-2010
Senior Faculty/Professional Seminar Leader/Coordinator Educator Licensor Program, Cambridge College 1995-present
Coordinator Instructional Technology and Media Curriculum Services, Somerville Public Schools, 2001-2007
Elementary and Middle School Library Literacy Specialist/Computer Teacher, Lowell Public Schools, 1995-2001
Education Technology Director, Gloucester Public Schools, 1992-1995
Elementary Teacher, Swampscott Public Schools, 1991-1993
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