JENNIFER O’CONNELL
New Student Services director
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The School Committee unanimously voted on Feb. 25 to sign off on Superintendent Tom Geary’s recommendation that Winthrop Public Schools Pupil Personnel Services Director Jennifer O’Connell be appointed as the next Student Services director.
O’Connell has served as Winthrop’s pupil personnel services director since August 2013. She has worked for Winthrop Public Schools for her entire 22-year career, including as Arthur T. Cummings Elementary School’s assistant principal from February 2012 to July 2013. She also worked as a supervising clinician, speech language pathologist and Section 504 Plan coordinator in Winthrop.
Geary said the School Department has been searching for a Student Services director, who oversees the district’s special education programs, since last spring.
“We posted the job late last spring, had an interview committee and interviewed several people,” said Geary. “We did not have a qualified candidate. Lydia Rundell-Gjerde stepped up and agreed to be the interim director for this year, which we are all appreciative of. She did not express interest in taking the position full-time, so we posted the position again in early January.”
Geary said the School Department received 10 applications for the Student Services director position. He and Assistant Superintendent Adam Federico reviewed the resumes.
“There were three qualified applicants that we decided to interview,” said Geary.
Geary said an interview committee interviewed the three candidates on Feb. 5. The interview committee included Geary, Summer Street School special education teacher Emma Bartlett, Huckleberry Hill School speech and language pathologist Emily Wein, Lynnfield Middle School special education teacher/Interim Special Education Team Chair Wendy Leone, Lynnfield High School psychologist/Special Education Team Chair Taylor Riedl, district-wide BCBA Kyle Glassberg, Summer Street School Special Education Team Chair/Preschool Director Alexandria Pierre, LMS Principal Stephen Ralston, SEPAC Co-President Meghan Mullaney and School Committee Vice Chair Jenny Sheehan.
“After we went through the process with those three candidates, we decided only candidate was worth moving forward and that was Jennifer O’Connell,” said Geary. “On Feb. 12, we had a second round of interviews with the Administrative Leadership Team. The team unanimously decided to move Jen forward to the next round, which is tonight.”
Geary said hiring special education directors is “the most difficult position to fill in any school district right now.” He said an individual recommended that O’Connell be considered for the Student Services director job last summer.
“I reached to her and we had a couple of great conversations,” said Geary. “I was sold, but she eventually told me no, which kind of crushed me at that point. She told me that it was just too late in the summer and it wouldn’t be fair to Winthrop to leave them high and dry that close to the start of the school. I was disappointed, but I really respected it in terms of loyalty. It showed me character. I was thrilled when she showed interest in applying now. This is the type of person we want: High character. That was really reflected in the reference calls that Adam and I made. As many of you know, I am not impressed easily, but I truly feel that Jen will be a great fit for this position at this time. We are continuing to build, and she will help ensure that we obtain the culture of high expectations, honesty, respect and trust between staff and families district-wide.”
Interview
School Committee Chair Kristen Grieco Elworthy opened the interview with O’Connell by thanking her for considering Lynnfield.
“I really have a lot of trust in the panel that interviewed you,” said Elworthy. “I have heard wonderful things about you.”
Sheehan asked O’Connell about her approach to communicating with families.
“Communication is a cornerstone for success,” said O’Connell. “When there are changes happening, you have to make sure those are communicated to families so that families are not blindsided by things. I think letting families know what is happening, these are the steps that we are taking as a district, and we will keep you posted goes a long way. I think that once trust is broken or if there is a communication breakdown, we lose people.”
Sheehan asked O’Connell about how she has worked to assist special education students’ transitions to different grade levels and/or schools.
O’Connell said transitions for students on individualized education programs (IEPs) is “extremely hard” for students going to a new school or a different grade level. She said it’s important for special education staff members to meet with families to discuss transitions, and she also said taking families on tours is beneficial.
“Having a more individualized approach if necessary is also very helpful,” said O’Connell.
School Committee member Kate DePrizio asked how O’Connell will balance criticisms and concerns from families while building relationships with them.
“Coming into this role, I don’t have the luxury of my reputation established with families,” said O’Connell. “People don’t know me, and it takes time to build that trust. One thing I pride myself on is working with staff and working with families, and being a very hands-on director. I will be in the schools and in classrooms getting to know students, learning about their needs and talking to the staff about what they are experiencing day-to-day. I want to know the students’ names and faces so when I have a conversation with a parent, I can say, ‘I have seen your child and I know exactly what you are talking about.’ It is going to take time, and I am very willing to roll my sleeves up and put that time and effort in.”
School Committeeman Jamie Hayman asked O’Connell how she has maintained relationships with parents when she has disagreed with them on the services for their child.
“That just comes with the territory,” said O’Connell. “Parents are supposed to be the best advocates for their children. I absolutely respect that and I not only respect it, but I expect it. Sometimes both sides are not going to agree.”
O’Connell added that it is important for special education officials and teachers to be “transparent with parents about their rights and what they are allowed by law.”
“I think we can sometimes work things out and sometimes we can’t,” said O’Connell. “It is just part of the process. I know that all too well because I have been on the other side of the table. I think experiencing both allows me to put myself in the parents’ shoes and know where they are coming from.”
School Committee member Jim Dillon asked O’Connell about her past experience with developing in-district programs.
O’Connell said she started a therapeutic learning program for Winthrop High students who were school-avoidant. She said Winthrop’s superintendent supported implementing the program even though it was expensive.
“We were able to get a strong educator on board and were able to get the buy-in from the parents at the time, who were definitely pushing for out-of-district placement,” said O’Connell.
O’Connell said the therapeutic learning program has been expanded to other Winthrop schools.
“Over the years, we were able to bring back students and stop students from going out because we have a program in place,” said O’Connell.
Dillon asked O’Connell “what are the attributes of a really strong special education teacher.”
O’Connell said the special education teacher she hired for WHS’ therapeutic learning program had a “background in alternative education.”
“Nothing fazed her,” said O’Connell. “When we are talking about work avoidance and school avoidance, she was the perfect person to have in this role because she doesn’t give up on kids and doesn’t quit on families. She really pulled them into what she was doing. I think that was one of the reasons why we saw so much success.”
DePrizio asked O’Connell how she has stayed up-to-date on best practices.
O’Connell said she frequently takes courses, and noted that she took an English language learners (ELL) class last year.
Hayman asked O’Connell what her viewpoints were on “inclusion versus pullouts in classrooms,” and whether she supports co-taught classrooms.
“I think inclusion is a great thing, but it needs to be meaningful inclusion,” said O’Connell. “Putting students in a general education setting just to say we are doing it isn’t fabulous. We need to have the right supports and right services in place in order for it to work and for students to be successful. That being said, it is not always the right service.”
Elworthy asked O’Connell what would be on her priority list when she begins her tenure as Student Services director on July 1.
O’Connell said she will be visiting the Student Services Department’s summer programs in order to introduce herself to students, staff and families because it’s important for her to get to know them. She said that would continue during the academic year.
“I know the Winthrop way of how things happen, but learning the Lynnfield way is extremely important,” said O’Connell.
Vote
After O’Connell’s interview concluded, the School Committee unanimously voted to appoint her as the district’s next Student Services director.
“I thought she was outstanding,” said Dillon.
Elworthy agreed.
“I was very impressed with her answers and I thought she had a great demeanor,” said Elworthy.
DePrizio concurred with Dillon and Elworthy’s viewpoints.
“She was conversational and she was able to talk about herself as a parent as well as an educator,” said DePrizio. “I thought she was great.”
Sheehan said she was impressed with how O’Connell went “super in-depth” while answering questions with the interview committee and the School Committee.
“She is just a wealth of knowledge, which I think will be very vital,” said Sheehan.
O’Connell will be receiving a $175,000 salary as Student Services director when she begins her tenure on July 1.