Carlinda Purcell may have been the candidate with the most to gain in her appearance at last night's Rochester superintendent forums, the third in the series of four. Purcell, like finalist Tim Mains, found herself in a difficult situation when her name was leaked to the media last summer.

The leak was compounded by the circumstances of her departure from her last job, as superintendent of Montgomery, Alabama, schools. Following a tense conflict with her, the Montgomery School Board bought out Purcell's contract.

Purcell is the only candidate with superintendent experience and title - the full package. She says that during her tenure in Montgomery, there were impressive gains in student achievement, and Rochester School Board members say they have confirmed that. Nonetheless, she remains a polarizing figure in Montgomery. She has both supporters and detractors there, and the latter have been eager to share their stories publicly.

Purcell hadn't had a chance to tell her side of the story publicly until last night. But when her moment arrived, she didn't elaborate on her fall-out with the Montgomery board.

The question came up more than once, and in every instance she gave vague responses that seemed to raise even more questions.

A similar moment came when she was asked about racism: she asked to put the question aside and get back to it later. The response seemed overly cautious in a presentation that needed some spontaneity.

But Purcell had her high points. She answered a question about poverty with empathy and compassion.

"I think sometimes we use the poverty thing as an excuse," she said. "There's a lot we can do between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. I understand that even though you don't have a lot of resources, you can still do a lot for children."

When she talked about hiring and retaining good teachers, she said the issue isn't always money; factors like school safety are equally important to teachers.

Purcell said she increased attendance in Montgomery by initiating a breakfast program. And to keep students in school requires some flexibility, she said, since some older students may have jobs and other commitments.

Purcell was particularly sensitive to the relationship between the school district and the local economy. "People really don't want to live in a community where they don't have faith in the school system," she said. "They will send their children to a school system they trust will educate their kids and prepare them for life."

Purcell earned her master's degree in early childhood education and her doctorate in education administration and special education. In addition to her Montgomery position, she was superintendent of Warren County, North Carolina, schools from 1995 to 2002.

Ingrid Carney, a senior administrator with the Boston school district, is the last finalist to be featured in the superintendent forums. She will be at East High School tonight at 6.