School Board Picks Three Interim Finalists

The all-Island school committee expects to finish round two next
Thursday, interviewing three finalists and hiring one to serve as the
next interim superintendent of Vineyard schools.

School board members made the cut this week, screening nine
applications and selecting two men and one woman for interviews.

The finalists for the five-and-a-half month job are Dr. Margaret
(Marge) Harris, the Vineyard schools assistant superintendent for
curriculum and instruction, Dr. Paul Dulac, a former school
superintendent from Newburyport, and Dr. Thomas Johnson, a former
associate superintendent who now lives in Harwichport.

Public interviews are scheduled for next Thursday from noon to 5 p.m.
at the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School.

"We plan to make a decision that night," said school
committee vice chairman David Rossi, the representative from Edgartown.

Ms. Harris is the best known among the finalists. She taught social
studies at the Vineyard regional high school for more than 25 years and
chaired the department before taking a job as a history curriculum
specialist with the state Department of Education.

The two other finalists both work currently as educational
consultants.

Mr. Dulac is a former superintendent of schools in Newburyport and
Plymouth, N.H. He was superintendent of an international school in
Beijing, China.

Mr. Johnson was a professor at Florida International University in
Fort Lauderdale and the chief personnel officer for Cambridge and
Needham public schools.

The Vineyard's current interim superintendent, Edward Jerome,
wraps up his three-month tour of duty on Jan. 14.

School committee members will have more culling to do next month
when applications for the permanent superintendent's post come
rolling in. The deadline is Jan. 28.

Less than two months ago, Dr. Kriner Cash announced his decision to
quit his job as superintendent, giving school board members little more
than two weeks' notice.

Faced with the short lead time, the all-Island school committee
opted for a plan to hire two interim superintendents for the remainder
of this school year while commencing a search for a permanent
replacement which they hope to complete by mid-March.