Two interview teams, created by Superintendent Bill Lupini and consisting of the school’s teachers, administrators, parents and students, began interviewing candidates for the position of headmaster in the second week of January.

There are many variables in the headmaster search, which makes it complicated.

According to Lupini, he and Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Angela Allen divide applicants into three groups: the first group consists of applicants that will definitely be interviewed, the second group consists of applicants not to interview and the third group, which Lupini jokingly calls the “tweeners,” consists of candidates that Lupini and the interview teams must further discuss before deciding whether or not to interview them.

It is with this third group that members of the interview teams can express their interest in interviewing an applicant Lupini may have previously overlooked.

“This group in the middle, they tend to be people who may have some experience that is sort of outside, that someone may view as relevant,” said Lupini.

According to Lupini, some faculty members have applied for the job, throwing another variable into the equation. All internal candidates are immediately delegated to the first group.

“Everyone is asking themselves a whole different set of questions,” said Lupini. “Do I see this person, the guy I have been working for 10 years, as my future headmaster?”

He stressed that no internal candidate should be upset or embarrassed to not be offered the job.

“They do work here,” said Lupini. “In the end, we would like for anyone applying internally to stay.”

Lupini anticipated that there would be approximately 10 candidates.

“I pledge to internal candidates, even more than the external people, that I am going to supply them with lots of information so that they are never surprised, and so that they have the information they need to make a decision [about applying for the job] up front,” said Lupini.

Each candidate will undergo two interviews, one with each interview team.

These approximately hour-long interviews are a challenge, according to Lupini, because they may not best and fully represent a candidate.

“There are things outside of that one hour experience that may make someone an attractive candidate, and there are things outside of that one hour experience that we may find when we do a Google search or when we make a couple of phone calls,” said Lupini.

Lupini said that external research can be helpful in determining whether a candidate is a good match for the school.

In addition to an interview, Lupini requires candidates to complete a written prompt to add a different element to the decision making.

“Let’s face it, an interview is about the most artificial experience that you can have,” said Lupini. “I have wondered for years if there is a better way to hire, because what does an interview really tell me? It tells me how they react to people, how they might react to surprises and how they put thought together.”

Both the questions asked by the interview teams and the questions in the written prompts relate to the top priorities and concerns brought up by the school community in surveys given in November.

According to Lupini, after the first round of interviews, he and both interview teams will convene to discuss which candidates should move on to the final round of interviews. Ultimately Lupini will make the decision. Lupini will release the names of the finalists, although the candidates’ names are kept confidential during the first round of interviews.

Through the process, despite its imperfections, Lupini said he hopes to emerge with a partner.

“A partner and a teammate is someone who is going to work with me on issues,” said Lupini, “keep me informed, let me know how I can help, be open to my input from where I sit, those sort of things.”

Kerry Grove and Anna Parkhurst can be contacted at [email protected]