Winning five out of seven votes of the Boston school committee Wednesday night ended the easy part for Brenda Cassellius. Now the hard part begins for the next superintendent.
Despite broad support from district stakeholders, Cassellius faces a complex district with a maze of political and logistical challenges, plus shattered trust between the system and the families it serves.
“It is not a secret that there are some very broken relationships when it comes to the work of our school committee and the relationship that they have with our … communities,” said at-large Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George, chair of the city council’s committee on education. “Having that connection and that engagement and that involvement with our kids and our families, and that sort of respectful and responsible relationship, will be key to success.”
Cassellius, 51, is the former education commissioner for the state of Minnesota. She will start as the fifth Boston superintendent in 10 years this September.