Wellesley School Committee recommends Clarke for interim seat

The Wellesley School Committee on Monday night interviewed nine candidates for an interim seat on the body and at the end of the two-hour-plus meeting selected Sharon Clarke, an HR consultant who has served the public school community through PTOs and the Wellesley Education Foundation board.

The vote, minus departing member Katherine Mirick and recused member Christina Horner, came as somewhat of a surprise since the Committee had issued an agenda for its Tuesday meeting that listed votes on filling the vacancy and notifying the Select Board. However, an announcement at the end of April seeking applicants for the slot had indicated that a recommendation would be made at the May 20 meeting. The three voting members all agreed they were ready to decide on Monday after interviewing the candidates and deliberating.

The School Committee opening is the result of member Mirick stepping down at the end of the month because her family is moving out of state. The interim seat would be in effect until the March election.

During the May 20 meeting, each candidate had up to three minutes to discuss their interest in the position, then School Committee members asked questions of each. When that was done, the members deliberated and voted. See the recording from Wellesley Media.

School Committee members thanked the candidates for coming forward, and expressed their appreciation for the variety of skills and interests of those who applied (see cover letters and resumes). Candidates included those with extensive experience in the education field, from teaching teachers and administrators, to teaching in the Wellesley Public Schools system itself. Others came from fields such as technology, finance, and marketing, and said they felt that their fresh perspectives might complement the current committee’s make-up. Chairman Mack said that one of the criteria he used in narrowing down choices was looking at how candidates might fill a gap in the skills of the current committee.

In the end, the three Committee members voting unanimously recommended Clarke after narrowing down choices to each of their top three candidates. David Bower and Leslie Laud each were on candidate lists shared by two of the current members.

The School Committee is slated to meet with the Select Board on June 3 to seek approval for Clarke to fill the interim seat.