Important Announcement Regarding Maxwell Principal Selection

March 12, 2026

Dear Jessie Whaley Maxwell Elementary School Community, 

Thank you for your continued partnership in the Maxwell principal selection process. After completing a rigorous screening and collaborative interview process with our instructional panel and the Maxwell Collaborative School Committee (CSC), we are pleased to share that Lindsay Handy will be the final candidate proceeding to the next steps in the hiring process. 

We will proceed with the following upcoming events as announced for Monday, March 16th, to allow for additional opportunities for the community to hear from our final candidate: 

• Instructional Learning Walk: Ms. Handy will spend the morning completing a performance assessment with our team. Additionally, there will be an opportunity for staff to drop in around 12 PM to ask Ms. Handy questions about her future candidacy for the school.
• Community Forum: At 3:00 PM, we will hold an in-person forum in the auditorium. Ms. Handy will spend approximately 30 minutes formally introducing herself and sharing a summary of her interests and vision for the school. During that time, a moderator will ask Ms. Handy a variety of questions from the initial community input survey. 
• Meet-and-Greet Event: Following the community forum, Ms. Handy will meet with students, staff, families, and visitors for an informal meet-and-greet. She will be available to connect with the school community and answer additional questions related to her future candidacy.

We highly value the voices of our entire school community. To honor this, we would like to invite students, staff, families, and community members to submit their feedback on the final candidate’s strengths and considerations to inform the superintendent’s final hiring decision. Please share your feedback on the strengths and considerations for the final candidate, in light of the school’s needs. You may also email your feedback responses to brittany_barela@dpsk12.net. Please complete all feedback by Wednesday, March 18th.

Community Feedback Survey (English/Spanish): Google Form (https://forms.gle/2pwniupeR2wHL7oG8) 

Feedback will be compiled and shared with the superintendent to inform the final principal selection. The final candidate will participate in an interview with Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero, Deputy Superintendent of Schools Dr. Tony Smith, and other members of our district leadership team as the final step in the selection process. 

Thank you for your continuous engagement in this selection process! 

Sincerely,