School Committee Interviews Superintendent Candidate E. Xiomara Herman

Report on the Joint Meeting of the Union26 and Regional School Committees, April 25, 2024

The interview was recorded and can be viewed here.

E. Xiomara Herman, Insular Superintendent in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is the third and final candidate for superintendent to be interviewed by the Regional School Committee. Reports on the interviews of Susan Gilson and Joanne Menard can be read in this issue of the Indy here and here. Each candidate spent two days touring the schools and the area, meeting with students, teachers, staff, and administrators. All had both virtual and in-person sessions with interested community members before being interviewed by the Regional School Committee (RSC). 

The Regional School Committee will choose a leading candidate for the superintendent position during a special meeting at 5:30 on Monday, April 29. 

E. Xiomara Herman stated that her “passion and just cause is working in a district where students can be the best version of themselves.” She said that she is very student-centered and that student voices are important to her. She pledged to be a strong advocate for what the students need. She said she was impressed with the “passion, purpose, and drive” of the educators she met with and with the “undertone of healing and togetherness.” She said that this aligns with her values in education.

As superintendent of a diverse district with 5,200 students, Herman had to submit reports to multiple agencies and build relationships with government representatives, she said. She stressed that clear and timely communication is most important to her. With the restricted local budget in the Virgin Islands, the schools have required federal funds to supplement local sources. She said each program is evaluated in terms of its advantages and tradeoffs, and how it helps to implement the district’s strategic plan. This year, she stated, the district is concentrating on improving student achievement and received grants to institute new programs in reading and mathematics with impressive results.

In terms of increasing the diversity of the staff, Herman said that the schools need to look at how a candidate fits in with the culture and environment. She noted that a good candidate for Wildwood might not fit in at Crocker Farm. She also said that it was important to maintain communication with staff in order to promote retention.

She described a situation last September when there was a heat wave on St. Croix and many of the schools did not have air conditioning, although units were on order. The untenable conditions led the teachers to go out on strike. Herman said that she met with the union leadership and they agreed to shift the school schedule to finish later in the spring. She realized that it was important to take timely action, especially when health and safety were involved, and that she needed to be more proactive and communicate that the administration was aware of the conditions and had ordered air conditioners. She then worked to rebuild the trust of the staff.

Most important to Herman is encouraging the success of all students—to determine what is the best fit for each student. She said that this may mean a personalized plan and out-of-the-box thinking. It may mean retrofitting the environment in terms of room configuration, lighting, seating arrangements, etc. to meet students’ needs. Her district recently rewrote its dress policy to allow students to wear skirts or pants according to their preference. She also stressed that it was important to educate the staff about using the students’ preferred names and pronouns. She said she would have a conversation with those who misnamed students and determine the intent of the error, then make sure it did not happen again. She would also communicate with parents that the matter was being dealt with and to give the school time to investigate. At the close of the investigation, she would communicate to the community as a whole.

Herman submitted a 100-day plan for beginning her tenure as superintendent. The plan states, “Lead with love—listen, learn, engage, and deliver—lean in and do what needs to be done collaboratively.” She noted that the district’s strategic plan dates to 2018 and needs to be updated with input from all stakeholders.

Herman said that, upon beginning as superintendent, she would meet with administrators and staff individually and then as teams, and would hold listening sessions with the broader community to understand the values and needs of the schools. She said that she is not afraid to engage with the community. She would also meet regularly with all unions and reach out to them proactively; she would  preemptively deal with a situation involving a union member before it became necessary to intervene. She says she keeps all of the union contracts on her cell phone to refer to. 

Herman is the only one of the three finalists who is not fully licensed in Massachusetts, but she said she has obtained a provisional license and has already made arrangements to complete the necessary coursework and practicum for full licensure. She said she earned her Ph.D. while serving as assistant superintendent and is not afraid of hard work.

She was asked by a fourth grader at Fort River how she would cope with Massachusetts weather, having spent her whole life in the Caribbean islands, and responded that she is not concerned, and feels  the “warm embrace of the community.” She added that it was humbling to see the students open up in discussions with her, and that she is committed to becoming part of the community and staying long-term.

Her final recommendation to the RSC was to fix the website so as to build a narrative and share the richness of the school district. 

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