Westborough Public Schools Calendar
Westborough School Committee is looking for a new school superintendent. What’s next
WESTBOROUGH — The School Commitee hopes to have a new superintendent hired by the end of February.
Amber Bock, the district’s superintendent for the past 10 years, announced last month that she will step down at the end of the current school year.
Bock said she will miss Westborough, but is looking forward to her new job as head of school with Shore Country Day School in Beverly.
“I love this place immensely,” she said of Westborough Public Schools. “It has been an incredible job and I love it, but I also feel like 10 years is a good transition time.”
Bock said she decided to leave because she wanted to return to “a smaller setting.” In Beverly, she will be in charge of the Shore County Day School, a private school serving about 300 students in pre-K through grade 9. Westborough Public Schools has about 4,000 students.
Westborough Superintendent of Schools Amber Bock is leaving to take a position as head of school at Shore Country Day School in Beverly.
‘She’s well positioned’: Westborough selects one of its own to be its next superintendent
“Westborough is a gem of a district,” she said. “There’s just good people, hardworking and loving community, but I do miss being closer to children’s instructional journey and coaching teachers, so I decided to take this position, where I really can do that.”
The School Committee posted a job advertisement on Dec. 11; those interested must apply by Jan. 15.
The posting outlined the job requirements: A successful applicant must be licensed or eligible to be a school superintendent in Massachusetts; hold a master’s degree in education or related field; hold a state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education superintendent or assistant superintendent license; possess a minimum of 12 years of experience in education that includes teaching, administration and central office experience; and experience in teaching or administration working with high-needs populations.
A salary range was not included in the posting. Bock’s salary for fiscal 2022 was about $196,000, according to the state Department of Education.
To find Bock’s replacement, a 12-member search committee comprised of school administrators, teachers, parents and School Committee members will conduct a first round of interviews sometime after Jan. 15, when all applications have been received.
The search committee will narrow the field to a few finalists by the beginning of February. The School Committee will then hold public forums to allow residents and school staff members to meet and ask questions of the finalists and then submit feedback to the School Committee.
The School Committee will then publicly will interview the finalists at the end of February and announce the new superintendent.
‘Felt important to me’: Amber Bock poised to take over as Westborough superintendent
Bock, who was an assistant superintendent in Weston when she was hired to replace the retiring Marianne O’Connor in Westborough for the start of the 2014-15 school year, expressed thanks for the support she received from the community and said she believes the district is in a good place.
She said she will miss the district, but will remain living in Westborough because she loves the community.
“I can’t say enough about the community and my colleagues,” Bock said. “I really enjoyed my time here. We did a lot of good things and I’m happy with the support I received.”
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or [email protected]. For up-to-date news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Westborough Public Schools start replacing departing superintendent
