School Committee to Weigh Superintendent Greer’s Future in Closed-Door Meeting

The Cambridge School Committee will discuss whether to renew Superintendent Victoria L. Greer’s contract during a closed-door executive session Tuesday evening, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The executive session comes as Greer’s leadership of the district has faced increased scrutiny, largely around district hiring processes and her handling of allegations of toxicity at Graham & Parks Elementary School.

Though Greer was scheduled to receive her midpoint evaluation at a School Committee meeting on March 19, the discussion was postponed so committee members could negotiate an offer for Greer, which is expected to be announced during the April 2 School Committee meeting, one of the people said.

Though the committee may reach a resolution on Greer’s contract on Tuesday, the discussion is likely to continue in a follow-up executive session scheduled for April 1, the person said.

According to the CPS website, the executive session discussion will take place behind closed doors “as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating positions of the School Committee.”

Committee member Richard Harding, Jr. said that he does not expect that “any final decision will be made tomorrow.”

He said that whether he votes to renew Greer’s contract was a “50/50 proposition” and not a “done deal either way” in a interview late Monday evening.

“I’m not quite at a place where I’m ready to say I’m firmly in one position,” he said. “Contrary to popular belief, I have not had many conversations about this particular issue in public or private. So, this is, for me, kind of the beginning of the process.”

A Cambridge Public Schools spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.

According to one of the people, committee members will have three potential avenues to settle Greer’s contract: parting ways, buying her contract out, or extending.

A contract buy-out would give Greer a 90-day notice in exchange for early termination payment equal to half of Greer’s salary.

According to Greer’s contract, the School Committee must notify her about whether her contract will be renewed by June 30. Otherwise, her contract will automatically be extended until June 30, 2026.

Votes can be taken at tomorrow’s executive session, according to the meeting notice. In order for committee members to vote during a convening, it must be explicitly enumerated in the convening’s public notice.

However, according to Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, the final vote on non-union personnel agreements — which include the Greer’s contract — must occur in an open session.

On Monday, Harding said he was still “actively listening” ahead of the Tuesday executive session.

“I’m still formulating my thoughts. I’m still looking at the data. And I’m trusting the process that’ll get me to a decision that I think is best for all the students, faculty, and citizens,” he said.

—Staff writer Darcy G Lin can be reached at darcy.lin@thecrimson.com.

—Staff writer Emily T. Schwartz can be reached at emily.schwartz@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @EmilySchwartz37.