Rockland School Committee praises superintendent in positive evaluation
Dr. Alan Cron receives strong marks across all performance areas as committee members highlight his leadership, communication skills and dedication to the district.
ROCKLAND - June 23 - The Rockland School Committee delivered a positive evaluation of Superintendent Dr. Alan Cron during its recent meeting, with members praising his leadership and steady guidance of the district through challenging times.
Committee Chair Jill Maroney presented the evaluation results, noting that Cron received ratings of "significant progress," "meet," or "exceeded" across all four major goals for the year. The evaluation covered his work on implementing year three of the district's five-year strategic plan, conducting a comprehensive review of special education services, strengthening communication among stakeholders, and fostering an inclusive district culture.
"I just want to say to take a moment to say how proud we are and incredible of the incredible work you've done as superintendent of Rockland Public Schools," Maroney said. "Your leadership, dedication and steady hand have made a real difference in our schools and in the lives of our students."
The committee evaluated Cron on multiple criteria, including progress toward student learning goals, professional practice, curriculum planning, teaching effectiveness, family and community engagement, and professional culture. He received ratings of "proficient" or "exemplary" in all categories, with an overall performance rating of "proficient."
Committee member Jaime Hennessy emphasized the value of Cron's transparent communication style. "We appreciate you and in the open communication you're always keeping us well informed of everything that's happening in the district and and I think it shows," she said.
Michele Bissonnette, who served in the district for 30 years before joining the committee, noted her newfound appreciation for the complexity of district operations. "As somebody who was in the district for 30 years I had no idea how many moving parts there were and that's been very very eye-opening for me as well," she said.
Cron expressed gratitude for the evaluation process and the committee's support, acknowledging both the challenges and rewards of leadership accountability. "I'm incredibly grateful to be here in this position and I think it's best school district on the planet," he said. "I really I really I am so proud of how we do things and especially how we do things when things are challenging."
The superintendent emphasized the importance of his leadership team in the district's success, recognizing nearly two dozen staff members by name during his report. "The leadership to me is building a team and everyone has strengths and everyone has challenges and putting that together," Cron said, noting his responsibility for nearly 2,400 students and nearly 500 employees.
Among those recognized were new principals Cheryl Schipper at the high school and Rich MacAllister at the middle school, along with longtime administrators and support staff across multiple departments. Cron also acknowledged partnerships with town officials, including Town Manager Doug Lapp, Board of Selectmen Chair Tiffanie Needham, and Finance Committee Chair John Pumphrey.
"You guys are the best school committee on the planet, bar none," Cron told the committee members, praising their volunteer service and partnership in district operations.
In other business, the committee approved the 2025-2026 school calendar with modifications requested by Maroney. The Committee will begin meetings on Aug. 25 instead of Aug. 18, and conclude on June 8 rather than June 22.
"We usually don't start that soon in the year in the summer and then on the end I would like to have June 8th be our last meeting," Maroney explained. "We usually can wrap it all up before then so I thought let's try to stick to that and if we need to in the end we'll add on."
The committee also approved a new fundraiser called WRPStival, scheduled for Aug. 23, 2025. The annual event will raise money for the WRPS scholarship fund benefiting graduating Rockland High School students.
Additional items approved during the meeting included:
• Financial reports for the school department, high school student activities, middle school student activities and food services
• Monthly reports from 11 department heads across various academic and administrative areas
• Surplus of outdated history and social studies textbooks, with editions dating from 1995 to 2001
The committee was unable to approve minutes from previous meetings due to lack of a quorum, postponing those items to a future meeting.
Maroney concluded the meeting by encouraging community members to enjoy their summer while staying safe, and reminded families about ongoing summer programs at Phelps Elementary and the district's daycare facilities.
The committee also acknowledged the recent passing of retired secretary Karen Armstrong, with Maroney expressing condolences to her family and thanking her for her years of service to Rockland Public Schools.
The next school committee meeting is scheduled for August, when the new academic year begins.