GREENFIELD — Before a small audience of primarily Greenfield educators, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Karin Patenaude was interviewed by the School Committee on Tuesday for her bid to become the district’s next superintendent.

With member Elizabeth Deneeve absent, the committee voted unanimously to enter into contract negotiations for Patenaude to begin as superintendent starting July 1, 2024. The process to appoint the longtime district employee began earlier this fall after Superintendent Christine DeBarge’s announcement in August of her intent to retire at the end of the academic year.

“Being an educator today is hard, harder than I have ever experienced or witnessed over the course of my 24-year career,” Patenaude told committee members during her opening statement. “But in those 24 years, 14 of which served the students of Greenfield … I have learned that being an educator is the most rewarding experience. This interview process has afforded me the opportunity to reflect on what is important and what matters, and how we address that to create the best educational experience for our students.”

Each School Committee member had the opportunity to ask a question or two of Patenaude, which covered short and long-term goals for the district, addressing inequities in education — particularly for students with disabilities — and supporting students in emergency shelter, as well as how she envisions the transition to the superintendent position happening.

“I think back to when I was appointed as acting principal, having been associate principal at the time in the same building,” she said. “It really is reflective of the situation I find myself in now. I’ve been working as an assistant with Christine for 2½ years now. When you start to transition to the lead role, your first six months are about listening ... and really getting a pulse on what folks are feeling at the time of the change of leadership.”

Asked about her priorities, Patenaude emphasized shoring up staffing and the need for the district to expand its outreach efforts.

“I know the world is in a staffing shortage, but it is detrimental to the lives of our students every day,” she said.

Her most critical, long-range objective, meanwhile, would be to improve equity in programming for all students.

“Equity in our programming for all of our students has been started,” Patenaude noted. “We have a long way to go. I think the long-range objective has to be that we keep that insight so our students are getting the highest quality programming each and every day.”

With respect to special education programming in particular, she said data shows that many of the district’s subgroups are struggling to meet grade-level standards.

“I think, with regards to students with disabilities, with our new director of pupil services, we know we need to work on the vertical alignment of special ed programming and also professional development … in speaking to the difference between modifying curriculum and scaffolding,” Patenaude said. “I think that’s something folks aren’t really savvy in and I think they do the best they can, but I think we need to support teachers so they’re modifying grade-level curriculum so special ed programming students are receiving grade-level content, but accessing it in a way that they can.”

Responding to a question about parent and family engagement, Patenaude said she plans to continue being as available as she is now to families and students.

“I’m very willing to partake in just about everything to make those connections,” she said, after joking that she’d even once played basketball with families at Franklin County’s YMCA. “I want families to feel like their voices are heard and we are listening.”

Patenaude emphasized to School Committee members that eliminating the assistant superintendent role as she transitions to the lead position would not be in the best interest of the students or the district. The question sought to address whether combining the two jobs would be feasible.

“There really is a division of responsibility in the sense that together we are better and can accomplish more,” she said. “Oversight of the district really is a collaborative nature.”

Chair Amy Proietti said the first step following Tuesday’s vote would be to call a School Committee meeting for an executive session to begin the contract negotiations process.

“It’s so unique and truly inspiring to be in this position as a School Committee and as this specific School Committee considering where we’ve been in the recent past and where we are now,” Proietti said. “I thank you for wanting to move forward with us.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.