Local News for Amherst

The chairman of the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District said schooling would remain stable despite the departure of the superintendent.

AMHERST – While acknowledging that this is a turbulent time for the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District following the departure of the superintendent, the School Committee chairman said work in the classrooms will remain stable, bolstered in part by the appointment of a temporary replacement.

“I regret that such turbulent times are facing us,” said Amherst Regional School Committee chairman Farshid Hajir during a Tuesday night meeting. But he said the real work happens in the classrooms. “What will happen in the classroom is the same.”

Superintendent Alberto Rodriguez’s eight-month tenure ended Monday following a mutual agreement between himself and School Committee members.

Hajir said Tuesday night that it was “a tremendously difficult decision. It has a lot of consequences.” But he said “it was the best decision for the School Committee and the best decision for Dr. Rodriguez.”

A statement released by school officials Monday said the decision followed survey results from employees, “particularly the feedback from a majority of senior administrative personnel who report to Dr. Rodriguez.”

Maria Geryk, assistant superintendent of student services, will serve as acting superintendent. Committee members said they want to search for a new superintendent, despite the lateness in the year. But members said they should not hire someone unless the fit is right.

“Ms. Geryk is experienced in bringing stability to the districts,” Hajir said in a prepared statement. She served as interim superintendent for four months prior to the start of Rodriguez’s July 1 arrival.

“It’s an unfortunate turn of events,” Mark Jackson, principal of the high school and acting principal of the middle school, said before the start of Tuesday night’s meeting. “It slows the work of the district; it’s inhibiting our ability to go forward.”

Jackson could not comment on whether there were issues with Rodriguez, calling it a personnel manner.

The school leadership team and school committees are committed to a smooth transition, Hajir wrote in a statement to the district.

In addition to students from Amherst and Pelham, the district educates children from Leverett and Shutesbury who are in middle or high school. The two towns have their own elementary schools.

Last year, Alton G. Sprague and Helen L. Vivian had been the interim co-superintendents until Feb. 27 when they resigned for health reasons and Geryk took over.

Former Superintendent Jere I. Hochman left in summer 2008 after five years on the job.

Rodriguez was one of three finalists for the position and was appointed in March 2009. The final vote was seven in favor of Rodriguez with one for hiring David P. Sklarz, superintendent in West Hartford, and another recommending a new search. A vote of five of the nine-member committee was needed to make an offer. The contract for Rodriguez was $158,000, plus a $15,000 housing and travel allowance.

A statement linked the departure of Rodriguez with "survey results from employees."

This is an updated version of a story posted at 9:27 Monday night.

File photo by Dave Roback / The RepublicanAlberto Rodriguez, is seen last summer after taking over as superintendent of schools for the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District. Rodriguez was released from his contract Monday, after only eight months on the job.
AMHERST – Maria Geryk, assistant superintendent of student services, will serve as acting superintendent until further notice, according to a message from Amherst Region School Committee Chairman Farshid Hajir posted on the district’s Web site.

The move follows a mutual agreement, announced Monday, between the Amherst Regional School Committee and Union 26 School Committee and Alberto Rodriguez to end his eight-month tenure.

“After the committees’ and Dr. Rodriguez’s receipt of the survey results from employees, particularly the feedback from a majority of senior administrative personnel who report to Dr. Rodriguez, the committees and Dr. Rodriguez agreed that it was in the best interest of all parties for Dr. Rodriguez to leave his position as superintendent of the districts,” according to the statement released by Hajir.

Committee members could not be reached for additional comment.

“Ms. Geryk is experienced in bringing stability to the districts,” Hajir wrote. She served as interim superintendent for four months just prior to Rodriguez’s July 1 arrival.

The school leadership team and school committees “are committed to facilitating a smooth transition plan,” the statement says.

School committee chairmen are slated to meet with school leaders today to help lead to a discussion of the transition plan at tonight’s School Committee meeting in Town Hall beginning at 6:30 p.m. The committee had been scheduled to evaluate Rodriguez’s performance.

Hajir said school leaders are “committed to their tasks, to the community and to assuring that there be no disruption to the work of our dedicated teachers who continue to educate the kids every day.”

Last year, Geryk took over for the husband-and-wife team of Alton G. Sprague and Helen L. Vivian, who had been the interim co-superintendents until Feb. 27, 2009, when they resigned for health reasons.

Former Superintendent Jere I. Hochman left in the summer of 2008 after five years on the job.

Rodriguez was one of three finalists for the position and was appointed last March. The final vote was seven in favor of Rodriguez with one for hiring David P. Sklarz, superintendent in West Hartford, and another recommending a new search. A vote of five of the nine-member committee was needed to make an offer. The contract for Rodriguez was $158,000, plus a $15,000 housing and travel allowance.

The financial terms of his release are unclear.

More details coming in The Republican.

Readers comment on the release of Amherst-Pelham Superintendent Alberto Rodriguez after only eight months on the job.

File photo by Dave Roback / The RepublicanAlberto Rodriguez, is seen last summer after taking over as superintendent of schools for the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District. Rodriguez was released from his contract Monday, after only eight months on the job.

Readers react to Amherst-Pelham Regional school district’s decision to release Superintendent Alberto Rodriguez from his contract after just eight months:

george7 says:
“When will Amherst start to learn to follow Hadley’s example? Hadley has a wonderful school superintendent who’s been around long enough to get to know everyone, create and implement programs and seeing them through. Amherst has a long way to go.”

hundredacrew says:
“I wonder if he will get paid out for his contract … There was serious controversy over his use of time.”

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