Norton Interim Superintendent Selected for Wrentham

Norton interim superintendent Dr. Christopher Martes is continuing his work in Wrentham, moving from Norton after assisting the district in selecting Joseph Baeta as permanent superintendent.

“You folks need to see if I’m a good fit,” he said. “I like interim work, I bring a set of skills and I’ve that I do like doing this work.”

Martes, who served in Norton for the 2012-13 school year, said he’s looking forward to coming to a new town and a new situation.

“I can take my skills and experience and come in and see things others may not see,” he said. “Wrentham is an interesting place. I started in elementary education, and that is intriguing to me to come back to it. This would be interesting and challenging for me to go back to my roots.”

The Wrentham School Committee voted unanimously for Martes after interviewing he and two other candidates. The decision, coming about a month after the announcement from current superintendent Jeff Marsden that he will be moving to the Medfield School District, was discussed at length on Monday.

Committee members agreed all the candidates were amazing and had a lot to offer the district, but felt Martes was the best fit. Former Mansfield superintendent John Moretti and former Plainville superindendent Michael Malone were the other candidates.

“We have three spectacular candidates, we’re in a no lose situation here,” committee chair Edward Goddard said.

Goddard added he felt Martes specifically catered to the district’s current situation, as he helped the Norton district to find its current permanent superintendent appointee Joseph Baeta.

“I like the fact that he’s done the interim position for a couple of years,” Goddard said. “I think his even-keel approach is very similar to Jeff [Marsden]. I’m not surprised to hear he was a mentor to Jeff.”

Committee member Tracey Murphy said she appreciated his dedication to being visible in the Norton district, both inside and outside the office.

“I think he seemed to stress the importance of having a presence in the schools,” she said. “I think Jeff has a presence and I think the community really appreciates that.”

Committee member Michelle Rouse said she felt Martes would provide a smooth transition for the schools, keeping in step with Wrentham’s current needs and goals.

“I think he would maintain that consistency and leadership going forward,” she said. “He said students are his number one priority, and for me that was an overwhelming comment to the consistency that should continue.”