On Wednesday, May 10, the Wayland School Committee announced Wayland Middle School Principal Betsy Gavron as the interim assistant superintendent. She was one of three finalists for the position.

Interim Superintendent David Fleishman sent out an email to Wayland Public Schools families on Thursday, May 11, to inform them of this decision.

“After careful deliberation, I was very pleased to recommend to the School Committee that [Gavron] be appointed interim assistant superintendent and I am delighted to report that her appointment was approved at last night’s meeting,” Fleishman wrote.

Fleishman emphasized the importance of the decision and the need for strong leadership to address the various issues the community has faced in the past school year.

“While I am fully aware of the fact that this has been a uniquely challenging time in the Wayland schools and community, I am hopeful that the coming year can be one of listening, healing and perspective taking,” Fleishman said. “At the same time, it is important that we remain focused on critical system goals, including addressing issues of racial equity and social justice.”

With 12 years of experience as the superintendent of Newton Public Schools, Fleishman relied on his past experience to recommend a final candidate to the School Committee. He interviewed the two final candidates last week before choosing Gavron because of her experience, leadership and communication skills.

“Based on my many years of experience as a superintendent, I have no doubt that [Gavron] would be outstanding in this role in any district and I think she is particularly well suited to this role in Wayland right now,” Fleishman wrote. “As a principal, Betsy has been a keen listener, skillful facilitator and strong communicator, all skills that are essential for district level leadership.”