Kudos, and a prediction

The Cape Cod Times reported today that the search for a new superintendent for the Falmouth Public Schools is down to two individuals.

I'll go out on a limb here and predict that Acting Superintendent Marc Dupuis will get the nod.

Not long ago, the school committee decided - in a split vote - to limit the search for a new superintendent to internal candidates only. Committee members Emily Davern, Samuel Patterson and Donna Mattison-Earls earn kudos for objecting to this and arguing for a wider search. Unfortunately, they were in the minority.

At first glance, one can understand the reluctance of the majority. After all, they got burned by Richards, who left after just three years. And in Dupuis' defense, some folks have noted that the administration of the school system has improved under his tenure.

While things might be better now than they were under Richards, we cannot lose sight of the fact that we might be able to do even better. Mr. Dupuis could be the best person for the job, but we will never know for sure if the benchmarks are limited to a handful of his subordinates and his predecessor.