The Watertown Public Schools announced the accreditation visit of Watertown High School beginning Sunday, March 13, as well as the timeline for appointing a new Director of Special Education.
The Watertown Public Schools sent out the following announcements:
Accreditation Visit of Watertown High School
Sixteen educators will conduct an on-site accreditation visit of Watertown High School from March 13-16. The accreditation visit will be conducted under the direction of the Committee on Public Secondary Schools of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The purpose of this accreditation visit is to review and determine from an outside professional viewpoint the extent to which the school is meeting NEASC’s Standards for Accreditation. As part of the evaluation, the visiting committee will:
- Attend a welcome presentation intended to provide an overview of Watertown and Watertown High School, presented by teachers and students
- Meet with school committee members
- Meet with parents
- Meet with teachers
- Meet with students
- Meet with administrators and curriculum coordinators
- Shadow students during the school day
- Review samples of student work
- Visit classes
- Review the school’s self-study
The members of the visiting committee are teachers and administrators from a variety of schools throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. NEASC is a voluntary membership organization of more than 1,800 public schools, colleges and universities, independent schools, and vocational, technical, and career institutions. Of these, over 650 secondary schools have been accredited through the Association’s Committee on Public Secondary Schools. The Committee works with individual public schools to improve the quality of education through a continuous process of accreditation and evaluation.
Special Education Director Search Timeline
January
Job Description/Vacancy Notice Posted: January 13
February
Initial Meeting of Search Committee; Development of Interview Questions: February 2 (5:00 – 6:30 pm)
Application Deadline: February 6
Distribution of Resumes to Committee February 8 (4:30 – 5:00 pm)
Screen Resumes and Select Candidates for Initial Interviews; Finalize Interview Questions: February 10 (3:30 pm – 5:30 pm)
March
Initial Interviews: March 7 (2:15 – 5:30 pm), March 8 (2:15 pm – 8:00 pm)
Selection of Finalists: March 8
Reference Checking Process Conducted by HR Director/Consultant: March 9-18
Community Forum with Finalists: March 22
Finalist Interviews with Superintendent: March 23-24
Superintendent Recommendation to School Committee: March 31
School Committee Approval of Superintendent’s Recommendation: April 4
Contract Negotiation Finalized with New Director of Special Education: April 25