For Immediate Release
Friday, January 4, 2008
Contact:Heidi Guarino 781-338-3106

Education Commissioner Finalist Interviews To Be Held in Public Monday

BOSTON - The three candidates for Commissioner of Education will be publicly interviewed by the Board of Education and two separate 15-member advisory committees on Monday. The finalists are: Lowell Superintendent Karla Brooks Baehr, Ohio Senior Associate State Superintendent Mitchell Dan Chester, and Wallace Foundation Education Director Richard Laine. They were selected from a pool of 16 people who submitted applications, and from a smaller pool of eight semifinalists who interviewed with the Board last month. "These interviews are the culmination of a very public, inclusive process of considering our three excellent, highly distinctive candidates," said Board of Education Chairman Paul Reville. "We are confident that this exhaustive process will yield an exceptional new leader for Massachusetts' public school system." The interviews will be held at the Omni Parker House in Boston, and will begin at 9 a.m. Each candidate will have a 45-minute interview with each advisory committee and a 90-minute interview with the Board. The Board interviews will be held in the Alcott Ballroom, and the advisory committee interviews will be held in the King Room and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Room. The advisory committees will be moderated by Henry Thomas, president of the Urban League of Springfield; and William Rodriguez, of Boston's Campaign for Proficiency. Committee members include legislators, parents, students, educators, union leaders and others. The group was assembled to represent the wide range of constituents and stakeholders impacted by public education in the Commonwealth. All interviews are open to the public, but the candidates will only be questioned by members of the Board of Education and the advisory committees. The interview schedule is: Karla Brooks Baehr
  • 9-10:30: Board of Education, Alcott Ballroom
  • 10:45-11:30: Advisory Committee I
  • 11:30-12:15: Advisory Committee II
Mitchell Chester
  • 9-9:45 Advisory Committee II
  • 9:45-10:30 Advisory Committee I
  • 10:45-12:15 Board of Education
Richard Laine
  • 9-9:45 Advisory Committee I
  • 9:45-10:30 Advisory Committee II
  • 1:45-3:15 Board of Education




Last Updated: January 4, 2008



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