E. Xiomara Herman Selected as New School Superintendent

Report on the Special Meeting of the Regional and Union 26 School Committees, April 29, 2024

After a comprehensive discussion, the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee (RSC) unanimously chose Dr. Ericilda Xiomara Herman, Superintendent of Schools in the U.S. Virgin Islands, as the next superintendent of the Amherst-Pelham Regional School system. Herman was also the overwhelming choice of the community members who submitted comments after the three finalists had met with students, staff, and community members, and were interviewed by the RSC. The other two finalists were Dr. Joanne Menard, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum in Hopkinton, and Dr. Susan Gilson, Assistant Superintendent of King Philip Regional Schools.

When RSC Chair Sarabess Kenney (Pelham) and Union 26 Chair Irv Rhodes (Amherst) phoned Herman to inform her of her selection, Rhodes said that she enthusiastically accepted. The RSC then entered executive session to discuss contract negotiations. Herman’s appointment is dependent on successful contract negotiations. She is slated to start as superintendent on July 1.

Herman was praised for being student-centered and a good listener. Pelham representative Margaret Stancer said that Herman’s answers to interview questions were concise but complete, pointing to her skill as a communicator. Deb Leonard (Amherst) noted that Herman has experience as a superintendent of a large district, with 5,200 students and 15 principals,and that she had progressed from a paraprofessional to superintendent in the same system, which speaks to her ability to be a strong manager and to work well with others. Leonard also appreciated that Herman keeps copies of the union contracts on her phone and meets regularly with union leadership. 

Several RSC members were concerned that, unlike the two other candidates, who had long careers working in Massachusetts, Herman does not have a network of people she can consult. However, committee members felt confident she could build a network. In fact, Sarah Marshall (Amherst) stated that the fact that Herman was not from Massachusetts can be viewed as an asset. She said, “Her [Herman’s] district is very diverse, like our district. Massachusetts is a small state. Are we going to keep circulating the same superintendents, or are we going to bring in new people?” Marshall also liked that Herman said she would “dive into the data” and figure out what is working and what is not—which students a program is not working for and what the school can do to change it. 

Leonard appreciated that Herman said she would build her administrative team by interviewing each member individually and then as a group to learn their duties and concerns. Bridget Hynes (Amherst) noted that Herman said she would do walkthroughs in the schools with administrative staff in order to encourage feedback. 

Rhodes voiced some concerns about Herman and instead favored Menard, saying her entry plan submitted to the committee gave him confidence that she could step in and make decisions on day one. He said he had anxiety about Herman because a previous superintendent who had been hired from Florida did not stay in Amherst for long. He was concerned about Herman being able to “navigate the complexities of Amherst.” Other committee members praised Menard as a solid choice, but were concerned about her lack of experience in a diverse community. Also, Stancer was worried that the fact that Menard changed districts every two to four years might be a red flag. 

Tillman Wolf (Leverett) thought that the preference of the community should be given weight so that the new superintendent would know she had the support of the public. Of the rankings submitted, Herman was ranked first in 45 and Menard in 11. However, Rhodes disputed that these figures could be taken as representative of the public opinion because the sample size was small.

In the end, the RSC agreed that Herman had more potential to heal the community, and that she was a stronger and more personable candidate. William Sherr (Pelham) said that none of the members of the queer community who spoke to him expressed any reservations about Herman. Marshall noted that all three candidates were aware of the upheaval in the schools over the past year, and all were impressed by the wonderful dedication and creativity of the students and staff. She stated that whoever was chosen would need the full support of the RSC to be successful and remain in the system long-term.