School Superintendent Sheila Martin recently received high marks from School Committee members in their recent evaluation of her performance in several areas.
Reminder Publishing photo by Mike Lydick
AGAWAM — Agawam Superintendent of Schools Sheila Martin enjoys strong support from the School Committee for her work as the leader of the town’s public schools.
School Committee members recently gave her high marks overall in their assessment and evaluation of Martin’s progress toward meeting her goals as well as rating her performance in several areas. Among them: progress in meeting goals for professional practice, student learning and district improvement goals.
Martin also was evaluated on her instructional leadership, her performance in the management and operations of the district, family and community engagement, and professional culture in the district.
A compilation of individual evaluations resulted in an overall cumulative rating of proficient for Martin during the 2025-26 school year. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education considers proficient to be fully satisfactory and an indication of the rigorous expected level of performance for a superintendent.
The proficient designation means Martin met all her goals and is considered very proficient overall in the comprehensive evaluation process developed by the DESE to evaluate superintendents. The committee voted unanimously at its final meeting of the school year on June 23 to approve Martin’s evaluation.
Committee members reviewed multiple “evidence-based” documents compiled by Martin — including student progress reports and detailed explanations from each school — before documenting her performance and progress toward meeting her goals in their evaluations.
In the comment section, committee members generally praised Martin’s leadership and the significant progress she has made during the past school year. Excerpts from those written comment follow.
Committee member Michael Perry said Martin achieved her goal of improving student attendance and “made a significant effort to enhance and increase communication with families, elicit feedback and engage with the school community. However, Perry wrote that he believes tardiness should be considered alongside attendance rates.
“Greater attention to reducing tardiness and implementation of strategies to reduce it would be beneficial for students. While Ms. Martin has made excellent efforts to engage the school community, low participation suggests some alterations may be needed to encourage more families to actively engage. Greater focus on improvements to student tardiness, administrative oversight and overall student academic performance would benefit students and their families, while continuing efforts to foster creativity and collaboration among educators,” wrote Perry.
In her evaluation, committee member Heather Zielenski — the newest member of the committee who was elected last November — wrote that that throughout the current evaluation cycle, Martin has demonstrated “a strong commitment” to students, staff and families. Zielenski wrote that Martin has had “timely and transparent” communication with the School Committee and shown a willingness to listen to feedback and proactively address challenges.
“The Superintendent has shown dedication to supporting students and staff, ensuring that district decisions remain focused on educational excellence and student success. Overall, I believe the Superintendent has performed effectively and has made meaningful contributions to the success of the district,” wrote Zielenski.
Committee member A.J. Christopher wrote that Martin continues to demonstrate “proficient leadership” and has made meaningful contributions to the district. He added that Martin’s leadership reflects a “clear commitment” to student success, collaboration and community engagement.
“She has demonstrated a strong commitment to the district, maintained positive relationships with stakeholders and continues to lead Agawam Public Schools in a thoughtful and professional manner. Continued focus on student learning outcomes, tardiness reduction and strategic prioritization of engagement efforts will further strengthen the district’s success,” wrote Christopher.
Committee member Dawn DeMatteo commended Martin for her dedication, professionalism and commitment to students, staff, families and the Agawam community. In addition, DeMatteo wrote that Martin has successfully advanced key district priorities and strategic goals by focusing on student achievement and her work on the school department’s budget.
“Superintendent Martin, alongside her budget team, maintained strong fiscal stewardship, aligning budget decisions with district priorities while ensuring the responsible use of resources to support student learning and district operations. Their careful planning and transparent budget practices contributed to the district’s continued fiscal stability,” wrote DeMatteo.
Committee member Shelley Borgatti-Reed praised Martin’s “exceptional leadership” and dedication to Agawam’s schools. Borgatti-Reed wrote that Martin has made a “positive difference” in the district’s schools and the community.
“Looking ahead, I believe Ms. Martin demonstrates trust in her administrative team. While empowering principals to make building level decisions is important, continued attention to oversight and accountability at the secondary level could further strengthen her leadership effectiveness,” wrote Borgatti-Reed.
Committee member Wendy Rua wrote that she has been impressed with Martin’s “steadfast focus” on student achievement, fiscal and operational efficiency and community engagement during the 2025-26 school year. Rua added that she also appreciated Marin’s “highly structured, data-driven approach to district governance.
“Sheila has made substantial, measurable progress toward all major district goals and has consistently met rigorous expectations. Thank you for your commitment, dedication and partnership,” wrote Rua.
In his evaluation of Martin, Mayor Christopher Johnson, who chairs the School Committee, wrote that the district is making progress toward its professional practice, student learning and district improvement goals. Specifically, Johnson believes there has been significant improvement in family and community feedback and communication under Martin’s leadership.
“The Strategic Plan is a simple to understand roadmap to parents and community members to see where the leadership of Agawam Public Schools wants to take our schools now and in the future. Overall, I believe Sheila is a well-respected and effective leader of the Agawam Public Schools.”
Martin began the third year of her current five-year contract on July 1. She has been superintendent since December 2020 after serving several months as interim superintendent. Prior to that she served two years as the district’s assistant superintendent.
