School Committee delays vote on Zaleski contract

The Weston School Committee delayed a vote on Superintendent Karen Zaleski’s contract extension at their Oct. 5 meeting, stating that due to the significant amount of public comment they had received on the superintendent’s performance, they were taking more time for discussion and to finalize contract terms.

Committee Chair Daina Selvig said, “This is a really important decision and I don’t think we should rush it simply because we have an identified time. At the same time, I’m really conscious that there is a need for resolution and to complete this process.”

She added, “This isn’t an abstract process for Dr. Zaleski. It concerns her job. It concerns her career, and she deserves to know where things stand. And our community deserves clarity.”

Zaleski’s contract expires at the end of the school year.

Selvig said the delay in making a final decision was partly due to her responding to an emergency family issue and was not “caused by Dr. Zaleski.”

“I’m sorry we’re not further along. This has not been an easy process for anyone, but we owe it to the superintendent, to the community and to one another to finish this process thoughtfully and with the community,” Selvig said.

In her comments to the Committee, Zaleski corrected statistics regarding Weston’s college enrollment figures that had been discussed in a previous meeting. She said 96% of the class of 2025 and 99% of the class of 2026 went on to attend college, not 80% that had been previously reported.

“I set high standards and expectations for our students and for ourselves,” she said. “Our district action plan reflects that.”

Additionally, she defended recent MCAS  results, stating Weston has seen stronger growth than comparable districts including Belmont and Lexington.

“The longer-term trends provide a more meaningful picture than any single year, and Weston’s overall trajectory under my leadership has been one of steady growth in improvement,” she said.

She emphasized that student success is measured by more than standardized testing.

“MCAS proficiency provides one important point-in-time measure. We also examine student growth, student percentiles, cohort progress, subgroup performance, trends over time and multiple assessment measures to understand not only where students are, but how they are progressing,” she said.

While one parent used the public comment period to describe a “groundswell of support” for new leadership, others argued for stability and continuity, noting the district had seen multiple superintendents in recent years. Constant turnover would harm Weston’s ability to recruit talented leaders and harm student progress, they cautioned.

Theresa Nibi, former PTO president, stated she was concerned about the “increasingly hostile tone surrounding discussion about [Zaleski’s] employment.

“Public criticism and strong disagreement are appropriate and part of a healthy school community, but the personal attacks and disrespect have crossed the line,” she said. “Disagreement cannot be the standard by which we decide whether a superintendent deserves to keep her job. I have yet to hear a compelling reason why Dr. Zaleski should not be offered the contract, and I have heard nothing that justifies the amount of vitriol directed at her.”

Nibi noted Zaleski has consistently received positive evaluations from the School Committee and pointed out that the district has changed leadership every two to three years on average.

“What this district needs is stability and a consistent execution of a long-term plan, not constant turnover and the starting and stopping of initiatives before they have a chance to succeed,” she said.

The Committee moved into executive session after public comment. A vote is expected at the next meeting, scheduled for Oct. 19.