MONTAGUE — Gill-Montague Regional School District Superintendent Brian Beck is meeting the expectations of his role, per an evaluation that was discussed at Tuesday’s School Committee meeting.
According to School Committee Chair Jane Oakes, seven committee members independently evaluated Beck under five standards: instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community engagement, professional culture, and progress toward goals set at the beginning of the school year. Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Sabrina Blanchard must report the evaluation’s findings to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Formerly the principal of Hopkins Academy in Hadley, Beck was chosen to replace Michael Sullivan as Gill-Montague’s superintendent in March 2020.
“I think it’s been particularly challenging for any superintendent and Brian was appointed just at the beginning of COVID, which was an interesting way to start as a superintendent,” Oakes said at Tuesday’s meeting.
All seven members rated Beck “proficient” in terms of his instructional leadership. In terms of management and operations, one said he “needs improvement” and six rated his performance as “proficient.” Six rated his family and community engagement work as “proficient,” while one touted it as “exemplary.” All seven said Beck was “proficient” at cultivating a professional culture.
Progress toward Beck’s goals was evaluated under a different metric. His “professional practice” goals, one said, had seen “some progress,” while three others said “significant progress” was made, two said the goals had been met and one said the goals had been exceeded. In terms of “student learning” goals, one observed “some progress,” four felt there was “significant progress” and two felt the goals were met. Regarding “district improvement” goals, five observed “significant progress,” one said the goals were met and another felt the goals had been exceeded.
“I’ll continue to sit here awkwardly and take the time to look over the document for feedback and integrate that into my work in planning for the annual strategic plans for the next school year in my own practice,” Beck said with a smile after the reviews were recapped on Tuesday.
After the reviews were presented, former California schoolteacher and recent School Committee appointee John Irminger volunteered additional praise.
“I’ve seen administrators over a quarter-century in California, and Brian, I just really appreciate his really confident style and he’s really good at helping us understand issues,” Irminger said. “I’m not quite saying it right, but I think you have a quiet confidence that I appreciate.”
Beck also credited those working alongside him within the school district for helping him do his job.
“We have a great network, so I certainly have tons of support,” Beck said. “I also feel very supported by an exceptionally strong administrative team in this district.”
Toward the end of the discussion, the Montague resident noted that his work’s motivation largely comes from a feeling that he is serving those closest to him.
“It’s nice to be able to have a positive impact on the quality of education that my children and my neighbors receive,” Beck said.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.