Third finalist for Easthampton superintendent, Michelle Balch, impresses School Committee

Michelle Balch was interviewed by the Easthampton School Committee for the superintendent role on Thursday night at Easthampton High School.

Michelle Balch was interviewed by the Easthampton School Committee for the superintendent role on Thursday night at Easthampton High School. STAFF PHOTO/ALEXA LEWIS

Michelle Balch was interviewed by the Easthampton School Committee for the superintendent role on Thursday night at Easthampton High School.

Michelle Balch was interviewed by the Easthampton School Committee for the superintendent role on Thursday night at Easthampton High School. STAFF PHOTO/ALEXA LEWIS

By ALEXA LEWIS

Staff Writer

Published: 12-13-2024 3:22 PM

EASTHAMPTON — Interviews among Easthampton’s superintendent finalists concluded Thursday night with the interview of Michelle Balch, who excited the School Committee with her ability to get to know the strengths and challenges of the district intimately in a short period of time.

Members also appreciated Balch’s individualized approach to student success and special education.

For their final interviews, the three finalists — Cynthia Kennedy, Mary Jane Rickson and Michelle Balch — were asked to conduct site visits at Easthampton High School and the Mountain View School, followed by a seven-question public interview and meet and greet. Kennedy interviewed Tuesday and Rickson interviewed Wednesday. A final decision is expected next Tuesday or Wednesday night.

At the outset of her interview, Balch recalled a time in college when she was called aside by a professor she admired, and recognized for her academic strengths. The professor invited her to join the Model UN club that he oversaw, and she said it was a moment that changed her life. As the superintendent of Easthampton Public Schools, she said her driving force would be providing a similar experience for students — recognizing them for their strengths and gifts, and inviting them to achieve their full potential.

“You sit up a little straighter, like ‘I am smart, I can do this, and somebody wants me to be a part of something,’” said Balch. “And that really became my ‘why,’ in education. I want no child to have to wait until college to have that experience.”

For about 20 years, Balch has worked in the Springfield Public School District — a much larger district than Easthampton. In her current role as chief instructional officer, Balch said that communication and cultivating relationships is still a very important part of her work, but what she craves is a smaller, tighter-knit community where she can get to know students and other community members more intimately.

“It’s hard not to know a kid’s name,” said Balch.

When speaking to potential improvements to focus on in Easthampton, Balch discussed expanding the Pre-K program at the Mountain View School, bolstering post-pandemic recovery — particularly in the language arts for elementary and middle school students, and raising the already high graduation rate at the high school, which rests at about 88%.

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“There’s students behind that data … we need to be at 100%,” said Balch.

School Committee Chair Laura Scott applauded Balch’s “breathtaking assessment” of the district after such a short period of time becoming familiar with the schools. Scott said that everything Balch brought up were things that the School Committee had identified as priorities themselves.

Balch’s humanized approach to school administration also stood out in her approaches to community engagement, special education, and data and technology use.

Forging relationships in the community is something Balch emphasized, bringing up the success of Springfield’s “Portrait of a Graduate” program. Through this program, Balch and other administrators solicited commentary from a vast coalition of community members, building a vision for education based on the skills the community views as valuable. Balch said that this initiative increased community investment in the schools.

“When I see this vision, I see the entire community,” she said.

Similarly, in formulating budgets, Balch has experience soliciting public comment on funding, which she said is important for transparency.

Balch also has extensive experience in the special education sphere, and she continued to stress the importance of viewing each child as an individual, rather than formulating a standardized approach to addressing disabilities.

“We can unlock every kid’s unlimited potential when we are meeting their needs,” she said.

In data regarding special education and student assessment, Balch encouraged looking at each student as a “story” rather than numbers and work samples. She also noted the importance of looking at “gaps” in data, which can signify inequity and the need for interventions or different modes of data collection.

School Committee members spoke in appreciation of Balch’s mention of data gaps, and being just as aware of what data isn’t available as the data that is.

Emphasizing her decades-long tenure in Springfield, Balch explained that “commitment and intentionality” are cornerstones of her personality.

“I feel like I could spend a long time here,” she said.

The School Committee will convene in City Hall on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., and will have a public discussion about the candidates, potentially leading to a vote. If no vote occurs on Tuesday, the committee will reconvene on Wednesday at 6 p.m. for additional public commentary, discussion and a vote.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.