By Josh Resnek
The Leader Herald has been told by several high ranking city officials that Assistant Superintendent Charlie Obremski is now actively being pursued as a possible candidate to replace acting superintendent Janet Gauthier.
Officials close with the search committee have indicated there has been a “change of the wind” regarding the advocacy for an outsider to step in to take over full reigns of the school department.
At the beginning of the process some months ago school committee officials were adamant that it was an outsider that they would be seeking. In fact, school committee Chairman Attorney Thomas Abruzzesse said that he didn’t care if it were a world-wide search and that new leadership needed to be brought to Everett.
However, in the ensuing months, rumblings both believed to be coming from City Hall and from other powerful stakeholders in the community have indicated that a local candidate might best serve the interests of not just the city but the teachers, administrators, and everyone involved with the conduct of the Everett Public Schools, especially all the students matriculating through the Everett Public School system. That number stands at almost 7,000 today.
Mr. Obremski was not interviewed for this report. He remains mum about what his intentions will be. That being said, some of Mr. Obremski’s closest friends and advisors claim that he may be ready to toss his hat into the ring.
Part of the problem of trying to find an outsider to come to Everett to become a superintendent is the lack of relationship with community, as well as the more fundamental difficulty of hiring a mature superintendent for longer than a three year stay. “The only reason most people from the outside will come to Everett is to stay here for three years, to get their highest three year salary, and then say ‘bye bye’ and will be looking for a new superintendent” said a school committee person who wishes to be unnamed.
The possible appearance of Obremski into the superintendent succession process brings one of the most talented local administrators with almost 30 years of experience and an unblemished personnel record to the table for consideration. According to one of Obremski’s friends, he and his wife, who is a schoolteacher, need to fully discuss the situation and to be on the same page before Obrmeski makes a decision one way or the other.