Published in the August 10, 2016 edition
KEVIN CYR has settled into his role as the school system’s director of teaching and learning. He began his new job July 1. (Dan Tomasello Photo)
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — Kevin Cyr is a familiar face in a new place.
After serving as Lynnfield High School’s assistant principal for eight years, Cyr is settling into his role as the school system’s director of Teaching and Learning. Superintendent of Schools Jane Tremblay created the new administrative position in the school department’s fiscal year 2017 budget.
The School Committee appointed Cyr, who began his tenure on July 1, to the position in May.
“It’s been great so far,” said Cyr. “I have been doing some behind the scenes work to prepare for the school year. There are several different facets that go into any teaching and learning position. It takes me back to my days as a curriculum coordinator and teacher. It gives me the opportunity to work more closely with teachers and having conversations about what is important, which is helping kids.”
A busy summer
Since beginning his tenure as the district’s director of teaching and learning, Cyr has been undertaking a variety of different initiatives. He has been working to “streamline” the state mandated teacher evaluation system this summer.
“We have been working to develop a common language about what teaching and learning should look like in the classroom,” said Cyr. “We want to have clarity so our teachers know what our expectations are.”
Cyr has been working to familiarize himself with state mandates issued by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) as well.
“I want to make sure we are crossing our T’s and dotting our I’s,” said Cyr. “That involves having conversations about certification, professional development and what are teachers can and can’t be doing. I have also been developing some guidelines for our teachers so it can be as clear as it can be to them in terms of what they should be doing.”
Cyr has been working to expand the school system’s professional development opportunities, including establishing more programs for specialists.
“The specialists didn’t get the same attention at times because we did not have the staffing in place,” said Cyr. “The good news is this position affords us to spend more time with all of the different disciplines and making sure they all have a stake. I am looking forward to those conversations.”
Cyr has been working closely with Tremblay to prepare for the upcoming school year.
“I think the more preparation we do now, the better off we are going to be,” said Cyr. “I want to be prepared and proactive rather than reactive. I want to make sure students and teachers have what they need in order to hit the ground running the first week of school.”
Cyr has also been working with new Middle School Assistant Principal Tom Sallee and new High School Assistant Principal Brian Bates to get them up to speed. Cyr, Bates and Sallee will each be presenting an entry plan to the School Committee in September.
Looking ahead
Cyr will be working closely with curriculum leaders and department once the school year begins.
“I want that common language we have now to spread across all department heads, which will filter down to the teachers and the kids,” said Cyr. “Our job is to improve teaching and learning. We have an outstanding faculty and teaching staff. However, it’s our job to all reflect and it’s my job to make sure teachers get better. I don’t care if you have been a teacher for 30 years or you are a brand new teacher, there is room for growth. The bottom line is meeting the needs of all students.”
Cyr also said he will be working closely with school officials and teachers to implement the second year of the district’s strategic plan.
“As I see strengths and challenges in the district, I am going to work with the leadership team to prioritize them,” said Cyr. “Fortunately, under Jane, we have a vision in place. My job is to better inform that vision and the best way to do that is spending time in the schools.”
Cyr said he will be visiting all four schools on a regular basis once the school year gets underway.
“I will have a visible presence at all of the schools and in classrooms,” said Cyr. “But it’s not just about visiting classes. You can learn just as much talking to kids in the lunchroom, hallway and at recess.”
Cyr said he will be visiting other schools to learn about their programs and initiatives as well.
“I am going to continue visiting other schools so I can bring ideas back to Lynnfield,” said Cyr. “That is what we did with the technology initiative. We didn’t come up with those ideas on our own. We went out and did research by visiting several different schools.”
Cyr will also be working to implement the Understanding By Design school improvement goal this year. School officials and teachers utilize the Understanding By Design framework to create a standards-based curriculum by using a backward design approach.
“We are looking to implement it in the fall,” said Cyr. “It’s going to be a real nice way to have a transparent, open and honest process about planning meaningful teaching and learning for our kids.”
While serving as LHS’ assistant principal, Cyr was a visible presence at sporting events, plays and concerts. He said he is going to continue being active in the community.
“I still want to be visible and accessible,” said Cyr. “It’s enjoyable to see the growth in students and parents as they move through each grade level. I feel privileged to be part of this community. It’s important to understand the pulse of the community.”
With summer drawing to a close, Cyr said he is looking forward to the upcoming school year.
“What I am most excited about this year is I am going to see every school and every level,” said Cyr. “It’s super exciting to see the level of excitement from both kids and teachers.”
