Come together, right now, for the School Committee. (still via Vimeo/ChicopeeTV)

On Monday in Chicopee, history did not repeat.

Two dozen years ago, a joint session of the City Council and School Committee could not agree on who should fill a vacant at-large Committee seat. Voters had to choose somebody at the next election. They chose Chester Szetela. He resigned last month, creating an opening another Joint Session had to fill. In contrast to the many fruitless votes over 20 years ago, the Joint Session this year took only a few votes.

The Joint Session chose Springfield College professor Mark McCarthy to serve out Szetela’s term. He beat out a field that at one point included nearly a dozen more applicants. By the time the Joint Session began voting, the field had slimmed to eight. There were several rounds of votse to winnow the field further. By the time there were two, the Joint Session deadlocked only once before choosing McCarthy.

McCarthy lives in the city with his wife and young son. He said he was active in his son’s preschool parent-teacher organization. McCarthy noted he was not a licensed public school teacher. However, he teaches educators on the subject of literacy. As a professor that includes research on literacy itself.

McCarthy: from lecture hall to municipal meeting room. (via Springfield College)

“Literacy is essential to the work of schools. Literacy outcomes are becoming a larger part of school accountability,” he told the Joint Session.

Telegraphing a skepticism of trends in education like high-stakes testing, he said teachers should be empowered. However, that does not mean education can be even better.

“The desire for improvement is not an indictment of public schools,” McCarthy said.

Like Holyoke across the river—which has had to fill three School Committee vacancies this year—Chicopee feels school board vacancies by vote of the Committee and Council meeting together.

Shortly after Szetela’s resignation, the city began soliciting interests from interested parties. As the seat represents the whole city, the only requirement was residency in Chicopee. Indeed, the seat drew interest from a range of political and community officials, including former City Councilor Joel McAuliffe and former Committee member James Tanhauser. McAuliffe, a onetime state rep candidate and aide to former Senator Eric Lesser, now has a career in education. (McAuliffe’s wife also serves on the Committee representing Ward 1).

After the candidates addressed the Joint Session, members debated the candidates. They discussed each of the eight advancing candidates one by one. Councilors and committee members highlighted several candidates in particular.

Jessica Avery received plaudits for her work on the legislature’s Veterans Committee after the COVID-19 outbreak at the then-Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. Members underscored Omar Irizarry’s attention to the underserved population in city schools. Jason Fay’s community involvement was highlighted.

However, the Joint Session also showered McCarthy with praise.

McCarthy, McAuliffe and Fay—and then just McCarthy and Fay—would survive the latest round of voting. With 24 voting members of the Join Session—10 committee members, 13 councilors and Mayor John Vieau—thirteen votes were necessary to win the seat.

In the penultimate vote with only two candidates, the Joint Session could not muster 13 votes for one candidate. However, in the next round McCarthy won 14 votes. He was invited to take the oath on the spot.

As Szetela’s seat would be up for election in 2025 anyway, McCarthy will serve out the term. He did not indicate he would seek the seat in his own right. However, in his remarks, he made a point of acknowledging he was joining the Committee via appointment.

“I would enter into this role with the full humility of someone who has not undergone the experience of a campaign nor received the mandate of a popular vote,” he said in his remarks. “I commit to earning your confidence and that of the stakeholders of Chicopee public Schools.”