Parents petition for no-confidence vote on director

School Committee · Meeting of June 1, 2026

Watertown residents petitioned the School Committee for a no-confidence vote on special education leadership. Resident Suzanne Rugeman submitted a petition signed by 231 people in under 10 days, asking the committee to add a vote of no confidence in the director of student services to its June 22 agenda; no vote was taken Monday. Multiple parents described abrupt staffing changes, retaliation fears, and an internal email in which the superintendent wrote "please don't leave me" to the director after a family complained about a special education meeting.

The superintendent, presenting a transition plan, said Dr. Damaris, director of student services, will leave in June 2027, with hiring targeted for February 2027. The committee also voted unanimously to amend its ethics policy and accepted a $373.38 gift for Hosmer School from Vision Inc., dba O'Connor Studio.

In the full story:

• Executive Session And Routine Opening
• Teaching And Learning Showcase: Robotics Team
• Recognitions: Valedictorian, Salutatorian And Nine Retirees
• Director Of Student Services Transition Plan
• Public Forum: Petition For Vote Of No Confidence
• School Improvement Plans: Early Steps And Elementary Schools
• Special Education Listening Sessions And Strategy Plan Update
• Enrollment And Personnel
• Action Items: Handbooks, Ethics Policy, Minutes, Calendar And Gifts
• Referrals And New Business
• Announcements
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,867 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of June 1, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.