Laura Perille has barely started as interim superintendent of the Boston Public Schools, but her support in some parts of the community is already crumbling. On Wednesday, a group of civil rights, parent, and educator groups fired off a letter demanding that Perille be banned from seeking the permanent post.
The critics, which include the Boston NAACP and the Boston Network of Black Student Achievement, fear that qualified external candidates won’t be interested in applying for the permanent job if Perille is in the mix, because she’ll be perceived as the automatic front-runner.
Mayor Marty Walsh issued a statement Thursday evening in response to the letter. “Let’s not be distracted from the real issue here — what we need is a strong superintendent of schools. That conversation should include qualifications and should include the broader community. Interim Superintendent Laura Perille is making good progress and we should let her do the job she’s been tasked to do right now, and focus on what we are looking for with the search with the school committee, rather than focusing on we are not looking for.”