BARNSTABLE, MA – Wilmington Assistant School Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Burnham is a finalist for the vacant Barnstable School Superintendent position.
Dr. Burnham has been the Assistant School Superintendent in Wilmington for 4.5 years, hired in July 2011 by former School Superintendent Joanne Benton. Prior to coming to Wilmington, Burnham served as Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for Tynsgborough Public Schools, and previously taught middle school science in Lowell and high school science in Chelmsford for more than 12 years.
Dr. Burnham earned a doctorate in leadership and learning from Rivier University and a master of education from Fitchburg State University, where she also received her Bachelor of Science in Biology.
Dr. Burnham currently oversees much of the curriculum, instruction, assessment and professional development happening in Wilmington Public Schools. She co-chairs Wilmington’s 21st Century Teacher Conference and the Wilmington STEM Fair; help found the SEEM Math Institute and SEEM Collaborative and Professional Development Leadership Team; and sits on a number of boards, including the Merrimack Valley Curriculum Leaders Exchange. She has served as an adjunct professor at Fitchburg State University since 2007, and has hosted a monthly local access television show, showcasing Wilmington Public Schools, for the past four years.
Dr. Burnham is in the running alongside two other finalists — Holliston Assistant School Superintendent Sara Ahern and Fall River School Superintendent Meg May-Brown.
The School Committee will publicly interview Burnham, and the other finalists, on Thursday, December 10, beginning at 5pm, in the Barnstable Intermediate School Cafeteria. Committee members will then conduct a site visit to Wilmington, as well as Holliston and Fall River, soon thereafter.
It is anticipated that the School Committee will make its decision by early January.
The Barnstable Superintendent Search Committee received 19 completed applications by its October 9th deadline, and interviewed 8 semi-finalists, before ultimately recommending Burnham, Ahern and May-Brown the finalists. The Massachusetts Association of School Committees, which was hired by the Wilmington School Committee to organize its recent School Superintendent Search, is doing the same for Barnstable.
Former Barnstable School Superintendent Dr. Mary Czajkowski left Barnstable for the Lexington school system at the end of June, after serving for four years. Bill Butler, the school district’s attorney, has served as interim superintendent ever since.
According to the job posting, the position pays an annual salary of $175,000-$200,000.
(NOTE: Cover photo is from Burnham’s LinkedIn profile. Information used in this article is from the Barnstable School District.)
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