Letter: A Call for Respect in School Committee Discussions

by Alison Estes, Alicia Lopez Nieto, and Derek Shea

The following letter was sent to the Amherst, Pelham, Union 26 and Amherst Pelham Regional School Committees on June 30, 2026. The letter was read as a public comment at the Regional School Committee meeting of June 30, 2026.

We speak on behalf of over 27 Administrators, Building Administrators, and Central Office staff. 

Firstly, thank you very much for your service to the community. Your task is by no means easy, and we are sure you all spend a ridiculous volume of hours on this work. We appreciate you stepping forward. 

We are all dismayed and concerned to learn of Dr. Herman’s decision to resign after the upcoming 26-27 school year. The work of leading our district has been monumental, but Dr. Herman has remained focused on one consistent priority: students.  She has made difficult decisions and challenged the status quo with steadfast resolve to move the district forward. 

And in recent weeks and months, we have become increasingly saddened by the tone of the school committee meetings and the treatment meted out to Dr. Herman and Ms.[Sarah] Marshall. This is merely our own observation, but both Dr. Herman and Ms. Marshall appear to have been muted or silenced on numerous occasions when they attempted to speak during meetings, leaving us to wonder what they have done to be subjected to such unkindness. 

We have an abundance of change taking place in our schools over the next calendar year, and we humbly suggest that we work toward a more pleasant and kind level of communication for the 26-27 school committee sessions. We need exemplary teamwork and camaraderie to best serve our students, and we are 100% sure we can all agree that there is room for improvement in these meetings.

As we now begin the search for the next superintendent, we respectfully ask the School Committee to engage in honest self-reflection about the role it plays in supporting—and retaining—district leadership. Recruiting another exceptional superintendent is only part of the challenge. Creating the conditions for that leader to succeed is equally important. 

Allison Estes, Alicia Lopez Nieto, and Derek Shea on behalf of 27 members of the administrative and central office team.

Allison Estes is Principal at Wildwood Elementary School and will be the incoming principal at Amethyst Brook Elementary School.

Alicia Lopez Nieto is Assistant Principal at Crocker Farm Elementary School

Derek Shea is Principal at Crocker Farm Elementary School