School Committee evaluations give superintendent praise and criticism

After a stretch marked by a tense School Committee race, community tragedy, and incidents highlighting racial tensions, the Acton and Acton-Carlisle School Committees used a performance evaluation for Superintendent Laurie Hunter to praise her for what they called steady, compassionate leadership amid the turmoil.

The committee’s self-evaluation shows some members see a need for improvement.

Acton School Committee chair Carrie Rankin called the evaluations a benchmark. “As a committee, we conduct a self-evaluation each year to reflect on our goals, how we work together, and how we can better serve the community,” she told The Acton Bridge. 

While the self-evaluation is annual, the superintendent evaluation happens every other year. Hunter received an overall rating of “proficient,” with several “exemplary” marks in areas such as crisis response, fiscal management, and instructional leadership.

Regional committee chair Julie Viola told The Acton Bridge that the evaluation’s summary said it best: “Dr. Laurie Hunter’s performance as superintendent is broadly commended by all evaluators, who describe her leadership as steady, compassionate, data-driven, collaborative, and innovative.” 

The good and the bad

However, Hunter’s evaluation wasn’t all praise: Communicating with the community was a sticking point. 

Outgoing committee member Cynthia Rainey noted concerns about communication around fiscal matters, such as the structure and transparency of year-end budget reporting. Rankin commented on the need for broader community engagement, particularly with residents who don’t have direct ties to the schools.

Rainey raised concerns over changes to courses that focused on emotional development, suggesting a need for clearer communication and community outreach. She also cited transparency around bullying and student safety as a place for better leadership.

But overall, Hunter received high marks, including for overseeing construction of the new middle school. Committee member Andrew Herchek described her as the “de facto project manager,” noting that she often visited the site on weekends and vacations to keep the project on track.

On the academic side, Hunter got kudos for the rollout of a new K–5 literacy curriculum and updates to middle school math instruction. Outgoing committee member Alexa Anderson praised the pace of implementation, saying she trusted Hunter’s judgment even when some in the community pushed for faster action.  

‘Challenges within’

The committee’s self-evaluation was anonymous. Rankin told The Bridge that for the first time, the board’s METCO representatives were included in the evaluation.

In their responses, committee members highlighted progress in areas such as goal tracking and policy review.  

But much of the feedback was critical. Communication with the superintendent and the community was a continuing theme. 

“We certainly have had our challenges within the community,” one anonymous committee member wrote, later adding, “We certainly value community input, but as elected officials, we are responsible for making the best decisions for the district.” 

One member expressed frustration with the expectation that questions to the superintendent be routed through the committee chair, calling it “a bit of a bottleneck.”

Other feedback touched on the need to better define the committee’s role in creating policy for the schools and for more professional development for committee members.