After hours of deliberation and faced with the future of Island school leadership, the All-Island School Committee chose Jaime L. Curley as the next superintendent to replace Richie Smith when he departs this coming June. Curley is the first woman to fill the role.
The committee was torn between candidates and held an extremely tight initial straw vote, which is an unofficial poll to gauge opinion. A few members abstained in the final decision, but Curley was eventually voted in.
Curley is the current assistant superintendent of student services in the Old Rochester Regional School District. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s and doctorate degrees in education. Much of her experience is in student services, special education, and school psychology. As superintendent of Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools, she will oversee seven schools, teachers and school leadership, and over 2,100 students.
“I like to be in the trenches with people,” she told the committee in the warmly lit library at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) on Thursday night. “I’m a hard worker, and I’m going to work really hard to make the Martha’s Vineyard school district the best school district.”
In her interview, Curley highlighted her intention to elevate people into leadership positions and focus on student needs. She oversees six different schools and four budgets at her current job and spoke to some regionalization efforts that are already being discussed on the Island.
“Aligning as many curriculums across the elementary schools, as much as possible, would be fantastic,” Curley said.
The new superintendent will be jumping right into the Island educational landscape at a time of great change.
The process is underway for the most costly capital project the Vineyard community has ever seen through the renovation of MVRHS; federal legislation has impacted health insurance rates, state food stipends, and Massachusetts educational budgets; consistent housing is a struggle for many locals, with families reportedly moving between lower schools before attending the regional high school due to the seasonality of many rentals.
Talks of regionalizing curriculums for kindergarten through eighth graders are also revving up this year, with a study recommending a more cohesive approach to learning across all seven schools. The new superintendent, as head of the Island’s public school system, would be at the forefront of those conversations going forward.
Each superintendent candidate — Curley, Elizabeth Legault, and Erik Cioffi — was interviewed for an hour. School committee members toggled between asking questions, tilting their heads as they listened in, and scribbling notes after each answer.
The All-Island School Committee was largely split between Curley and Legault. While the committee appreciated Cioffi and his interview, they honed in on the two others and ruled out Cioffi early on. They cited Cioffi’s easy-going nature as a positive but didn’t feel it was well-suited to a complex school system like the Vineyard’s.
“This Island has one of the most complicated district set-ups in the state,” Alex Salop, chair of the search committee for the superintendent, said.
They pointed to the almost opposite qualities Curley and Legault brought to the table. Committee members said Curley is less experienced but has a willingness to learn, while Legault has over a decade of relevant experience but in more urban districts.
Legault also worked directly with the Massachusetts Building Authority and navigated a school building project in her own district, while Curley hasn’t had experience with one.
Through pros and cons lists and discussions, committee members narrowed their choices down, taking personality, experience, and intention into account. But their common ground was a desire for inspired action from the incoming superintendent and the ability of a new leader to embrace the intricacies of the Island.
“What success looks like in this job is someone who can move us forward. And to me, forward means change,” committee member Rizwan Malik said in discussion about Legault. “With the complexity of our district…I want somebody who comes in here with their eyes open.”
When it came to Curley, they considered her lack of experience in a superintendent position as a possible strength. Skipper Manter, another committee member, spoke of Curley’s “adaptability” and her willingness to learn.
The committee said her strength in managing diverse groups, work she’s done with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, and student-focused approach made her the standout.
“She’s definitely worked in a system that is the closest to what we do,” committee member Chris Greene said of her experience in Old Rochester.
Eventually, their discourse led to a decision, and for the Island, a step toward a new chapter.
