Area Superintendents Meet on Campus

Chancellor Marty Meehan and Interim Provost Donald Pierson welcomed superintendents to the recent forum.

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Chancellor Marty Meehan recently spoke to school district leaders from around the region about the importance of building new partnerships between schools and universities.  His remarks came during the Chancellor’s Breakfast for Superintendents as part of the Superintendents’ Forum. 
     
The Superintendents Forum is an annual series of bi-monthly meetings sponsored by the Center for Field Services and Studies.  The Forum brings together school leaders from Middlesex and Essex counties to share ideas and concerns on educational topics and to receive briefings from state, regional and UML faculty experts on emerging issues. 

In his comments, Meehan discussed UML’s commitment to K-16 public education and two-way partnerships with schools, along with the need for increasing the numbers of young people who choose STEM college majors and careers. 

A panel discussion followed the Chancellor’s remarks. Participants included Superintendents Claudia Bach of Andover, Wilfredo Laboy of Lawrence, Christine McGrath of Tewksbury, Everett Olsen of Westford and Pat Schettini of Reading.  The group was moderated by Dr. David Troughton, superintendent of the North Reading Public Schools. 

“The Chancellor’s Breakfast for Superintendents was a first-time event for UML. The personal invitation from the Chancellor, his welcome address and lively Q&A with the superintendents were very well received and will certainly lead to expanded collaboration with school districts in the region,” says Judith Boccia, director of the Center for Field Services and Studies.  “The presence at the breakfast of the college deans, as well as the associate chancellor and provost, signaled that K-16 partnerships are important to the entire University, not just the Graduate School of Education.”

“Several school leaders encouraged us to make this breakfast an annual back-to-school event, and we definitely plan to do so,” says Boccia. “We want to offer special thanks to Dr. David Troughton, superintendent of the North Reading Schools, who convenes the Forum and arranged the respondent panel.” 

Topics addressed at past Forum discussions have included Best Leadership Practices, Building Capacity for Student Success, Healthy Schools/Healthy Children, Teaching Excellence, No Child Left Behind, Partnerships for Learning and the STEM Pipeline.

“As school superintendents, we recognize the unique role UML plays as a regional leader in the improvement of teaching and learning.  Strong partnerships between UML and pre K-12 school districts lead to creative thinking and generate exciting opportunities of collaboration,” says Troughton.  “We look forward to the opportunity to work with Chancellor Meehan and UML to explore innovative ideas, new research and emerging programs.” 
     
The Forum was initiated in 1995 in response to superintendents’ requests for professional development and closer collaboration with UML.