School Year Begins With New Superintendent At The Helm

With the resumption of classes on Wednesday morning, Dr. Thomas Jefferson's first academic year as Lynnfield school superintendent also gets underway.

Before coming to Lynnfield, Jefferson was school superintendent of the town of Harvard, Massachusetts for about six years, and he is also a former superintendent of the Somers, Connecticut district. Before that, he spent nearly two decades as an elementary school principal in Simsbury, Connecticut and Shutesbury, Mass. His first job as a teacher was in Brookline, Mass.

Jefferson cites one of his mentors as Dr. Irwin Blumer of Boston College, who years ago served as a school principal in Brookline and hired the future Lynnfield superintendent to an early teaching job. He credits this experience with helping him realize early on the importance differences one can make in an administration leadership role.

"It's more than making the buses run on time," said Jefferson. "There is a key role in educational leadership."

Still, he notes that "ultimately, I think teaching is where the action is," recalling how impressed he was by some of the teachers who worked with him during his time as a principal in Shutesbury, Mass.

Setting The Tone For Cooperation, Achievement

Looking to his current position, Jefferson expects to work well with the members of the Lynnfield School Committee. In fact, he once served as a member of the Longmeadow, Mass., school committee, an experience he believes has provided a valuable perspective, "because I know what they face."As superintendent, he also strives to provide school committee members with "what they need to do their role."

"Each of the five of them are exceptional people," he said, referring to the current members of the Lynnfield School Committee."I think a lot of the success of any school committee is the willingness to put kids first." He also cited committee chairwoman Dorothy Presser's experience as president of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees as bringing valuable knowledge of legislation and education initiatives to the district.

Another advtange Jefferson cites to working in Lynnfield is the fact that at town hall, his office is basically two doors away from the town administrator's and selectmen's offices, which should only help further efficiency and cooperation between the departments. He also praised Town Administrator Bill Gustus for the "paramount" leadership role he took during the town's budget process this spring.

Plans For The Short Term

For his own plans in the short term, Jefferson points out that he is "taking over a place that's in great shape." With that in mind, he sees little need to implement any major and immediate changes.

"This is a system where change will be a matter of evolution, not revolution," said Jefferson. Still, he does plan to take an in-depth look at what is and is not currently working in the school district, and he will also be open to possible areas for improvement in MCAS testing.

Jefferson credits his predecessor, retired Superintendent Robert Hassett, for helping the Lynnfield School District reach the good position it now finds itself in. He also expressed gratitude to Hassett for the care and attention he showed during the transition process early this summer.

Regarding the MCAS tests, these have generated their share of news in recent years. Jefferson sees the MCAS tests as "not the ceiling - it's the floor." Lynnfield students "do phenomenally well" on MCAS testing, which Jefferson cites as a sign that they have "the critical thinking and advanced work skills to be successful in the 21st Century."

In fact, Jefferson looks back on a part-time job he had where he paid for grad school as an SAT prep course tutor. He sees it as "some of the worst teaching I've ever done," largely because it focused on "teaching test-taking tricks" instead of bona fide learning.

"You can have fine test scores and have a stimulating and engaging environment," said Jefferson.

Another area Jefferson will be open to improvements is technology, especially since this area tends to change so much in just the space of a few school years. He sees the school PTOs as having an especially helpful role to play here, citing their help in the past with obtaining school technology like smart boards.

Also, revenue is as crucial as ever to Lynnfield and other school districts - although the town's fiscal situation does appear to be stable for the next year or two following this spring's difficult town meeting process.

However, Jefferson observes that local budget situations can shift dramatically, depending on factors like enrollment fluctuations and special education placements, as well as revenue shortfalls.

"You're never that far away from having to make some tough decisions," said the superintendent.

At Home In The School District

Overall, Jefferson already feels at home in the Lynnfield School District, in part because it is not unlike others he has worked in.

"History has landed me in a lot of places that were high-performing, low-spending school districts," said Jefferson, adding that town residents should expect a good value from their schools.

He likes how Lynnfield has many self-made people living in it, recalling how he himself worked at restaurants and elsewhere to put himself through McAllister College as a young man living in St. Paul, Minnesota. "I came out east for the warm weather," he jokingly added.

Another benefit Jefferson sees in Lynnfield is the town's strong appreciation for its school sports teams, adding that he is a "sports guy" himself.

"I've been fortunate in my life to have some great opportunities," said the superintendent, adding that he sees his time in Lynnfield as a "capstone" and that he hopes to serve in this new capacity for "a good long time."

"It's just been a great reception... I'm proud to be here," said Jefferson.