Superintendent contract in review

With the School Committee considering Superintendent Karen Zaleski’s future with the district, she made a pitch for her job on Sept. 28.

Zaleski’s contract expires at the end of the school year, and the School Committee is expected to vote on whether to continue her appointment at its Oct. 5 meeting. 

Rather than give her typical update at Monday’s meeting, Zaleski spoke about her work in the district, the initiatives she’s implemented and the milestones Weston Public Schools has reached since she began as interim superintendent in July 2023.

She highlighted the revamped evidence-based literacy curriculum deployed at the elementary schools, the development of a new five-year strategic plan, the creation of an anti-hate plan and budget investments into district priorities, among other topics.

She said staff retention has improved in her three years with the district – from 86.2% in 2023 to 92.3% in 2025, and back down to 89.8% in 2026, according to state data – and her leadership team has created more opportunities for internal promotions.

“When I came to Weston three years ago, I made a promise that my decisions would begin and end with what I believe is best for our students, their learning, their safety, their wellbeing and their future,” Zaleski said. “That promise still guides me today.”

Zaleski said running a school district requires difficult decisions that can upset people, and she acknowledged that humility is part of the job, too, noting there are some decisions that she would “approach differently today because I have learned and grown.”

“I understand that change is hard. Schools are deeply personal…When something changes, people feel it deeply, and I respect that, but I also believe leadership sometimes requires the courage to make difficult decisions,” Zaleski said. “I recognize there is more work to do, and I welcome that work. Serving as a superintendent of Weston Public Schools has been an extraordinary privilege, and I hope to continue.”

As the School Committee considers a new contract, it has also solicited public feedback on Zaleski’s job performance, generating “a lot of written public comment,” according to School Committee Chair Daina Selvig.

Several community members requested the School Committee release survey results from 50 teachers, paraprofessionals and other staff that was collected during Zaleski’s annual evaluation this past spring. The survey also collected parent feedback, which was shared in April.

The Observer filed a public records request for the survey results that was denied because, while the School Committee’s evaluation is a public record, school district staff evaluations are not, according to Neil Trahan, the district’s records access officer and assistant superintendent of technology and operations.

“The Committee has attempted to balance its commitment to transparency with the legal protections applicable to personnel evaluation materials and the importance of maintaining the integrity of the evaluation process. The survey was conducted for the purpose of obtaining candid feedback to assist the Committee in evaluating the superintendent’s performance,” Trahan wrote in denying the Observer’s request. “Maintaining appropriate confidentiality around those responses is important to ensuring continued participation and candid feedback in future evaluation processes. Accordingly, the Committee is not releasing the survey responses.”

Selvig reaffirmed the committee’s decision to not publicly release the surveys at the Sept. 28 meeting.

“All School Committee members have access to that information, those documents, those surveys,” Selvig said. “Those responses have not and will not be released for public consumption on advice of counsel.”

Three community members spoke in public comment regarding Zaleski’s contract, joining a handful that spoke earlier this month. These residents urged the School Committee to continue to listen to parent feedback and look at Weston’s academic achievement metrics.

“I think you will continue to hear more from a number of parents in the district, and while these parents recognize and appreciate the contributions of Dr. Zaleski that she’s made in her time in the district, they also believe that a transition to a new superintendent now is the right thing to do,” said resident Laura Eisen.

The School Committee is expected to consider Zaleski’s contract on Oct. 5.