Follansbee selected as Easthampton superintendent of schools

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

EASTHAMPTON - School Committee members were pleased to name longtime Easthampton educator Nancy Follansbee as their choice for superintendent at their meeting Thursday night.

Follansbee, of Easthampton, who has served as the school system's director of curriculum for four years, said it was an honor to be selected above three other well-qualified candidates.

"I am excited about continuing to work with the many talented faculty, staff and administrators we have in Easthampton schools in this new capacity as superintendent," said Follansbee, reached by phone Thursday evening. "I am also looking forward to working with the School Committee and in partnership with the mayor to continue our effort to open up our schools to all members of the community."

Follansbee, 61, joined the local school district in 1991, where she has held various positions, including reading specialist, Reading Recovery teacher, literacy coordinator, Title I director and grants manager.

Prior to her time in Easthampton, Follansbee taught students in grades 4 through 6 in New York for six years. She holds a bachelor's degree from St. Lawrence University, a master's degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia, and a certification in Reading Recovery - a short-term intervention for children who have the lowest achievement in literacy in first grade - from Lesley College.

"In my interview I talked about growing the programs we already have that have been so successful here and looking at new and innovative ideas for improving education for all of our students," Follansbee said.

Follansbee has accepted the position, but was not present at the meeting Thursday night. She will begin her role as superintendent July 1.

The School Committee is considering a salary range of $110,000 to $130,000. Outgoing School Superintendent Deborah Carter's salary in her last year was $121,000.

School Committee Chairman Peter Gunn said he was grateful to have so many qualified candidates vying for the position and that Follansbee was chosen because she was "the right person for where is Easthampton is now and where it needs to go."

"Nancy is a teacher's teacher, her personal style of leadership is collaborative and she is a very good listener," Gunn said, adding, "The broad support that she enjoyed from the School Committee reflected the broad support she enjoyed from the administrators in our district."

Although her 18 years of experience in the city's public schools was a major draw, Gunn said her ability to provide School Committee members with a clear vision for the future set her apart.

"She articulated a vision that included next steps and new possibilities, and as superintendent we think she can marshal in those changes in the years to come," Gunn said.

Among ideas mentioned in her interview with committee members, he said, were offering parents parent-guided tours of school facilities and a video look into classrooms.

During her finalist interview, Follansbee focused on creative collaboration among teachers across schools in the district. She said she would pursue grants and seek better communication with the public concerning Easthampton's "jewel of a school district."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com