Husseini Elected Chair of Stoughton School Committee

After serving as chair for the 2011-2012 school year, the gavel has been passed back to Joyce Husseini, who was unanimously elected chair of the Stoughton School Committee for the 2013-2014 school year.

Deborah Sovinee served as the chair of the School Committee this past school year, 2012-2013, with Husseini serving as vice chair.

The School Committee started its Monday meeting, held in the School Committee Room prior to the start of Town Meeting, with its annual reorganization exercises. 

George Dolinsky nominated Husseini for chair, with Sovinee seconding the nomination. There were no other nominations, with Husseini receiving support from the entire board. 

Sovinee then nominated Dolinsky for vice chair, with Dr. Carol Brown seconding the nomination. There were no other nominations, with Dolinsky receiving support from the entire board. 

"Stay healthy please," Dolinsky joked.

"I'm honored to be considered," Dolinsky added after the meeting.

In an email Sovinee said that after a year of accomplishment, she was "happy to turn the gavel over" to Husseini.

"I think that every organization profits from a change in leadership and direction," Sovinee wrote. "The School Committee accomplished a lot this year with a very successful town meeting and new initiatives, successful application to the MSBA and a fabulous Program of Study at SHS. It was also a very difficult year with several terrible tragedies. I did my best and am happy to turn the gavel over to Joyce Husseini's very competent hands."

Husseini, who was reelected to a second three-year term in the April 2013 Town Election, becomes chair for the second time in her tenure on the School Committee. She wrote in an email:

"I am fortunate to work on a committee comprised of hard working professionals who have the best interest of our children and community at heart."

Husseini wasted little time in setting goals for the year ahead. 

"I look forward to a second opportunity to serve as Chair.  Having the benefit of serving in this position before, and with a few more years of experience on the board, I see a few areas where I would like to focus my attention to create a more streamlined process for the business of the board and better defined roles and responsibilities for our members," she wrote. 

"I would like to see a more formal subcommittee structure for our board that allows all of our members to contribute more productively, and to take advantage of their backgrounds and strengths," Husseini added. 

"I will work on providing transparency in the board's operations and better access to information for the public," she continued. 

"We have had success this past year in working with focus groups on specific topics and I would like to see an increase in these types of forums so that we can better respond to the needs of the community."

She said "a well functioning board that focuses on advancing student learning through its decision making frees up our professional staff to focus on their jobs."  

Husseini also complimented Sovinee. 

"I would like to thank Ms. Sovinee for her work as chair this past year.  She has devoted countless hours and has immersed herself in the complexities of the MSBA building process and the DESE educator evaluation requirements.  Her work on these and other issues has been tremendous in helping the board move forward."

The Stoughton School Committee is comprised of Husseini (chair), Dolinsky (vice chair), Sovinee, Brown and Dr. Erdem Ural.