Published in the April 18, 2018 edition
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD – Current Assistant Superintendent Douglas Lyons will be the next superintendent of the Wakefield Public Schools.
After a relatively short but intense selection process, the School Committee voted unanimously last night for the in-house candidate. Lyons was one of three finalists for the position, along with Dr. Susan Kustka, assistant superintendent of the Weymouth Public Schools and Jared Fugoni, assistant superintendent in the Haverhill School System.
Lyons has been assistant superintendent in Wakefield for three years. Prior to that, he was principal of the Parker Middle School in Reading. He is currently a doctoral candidate at Northeastern University.
DOUGLAS LYONS
Current Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Smith has announced that she will retire on June 30.
School Committee member Thomas Markham expressed his reasons for supporting Lyons. Markham acknowledged the strong leadership abilities of all three finalists but stressed that one of the most important things Lyons offered was the ability to provide stability for the school system.
“We’ve come a long way in recent years,” he said. “We are fortunate to have an in-house candidate. Stability is really important to the path that we’re on.”
Committee member Christopher Callanan agreed with Markham.
“The next superintendent needs to provide continuity,” he said. “We are on such a good path and I didn’t want to see that disrupted. He added that Lyons’ background in the Wakefield school system allows him to “know what the plan is without having to learn it.”
School Committee member Greg Liakos said that while he agreed with his colleagues that continuity of leadership was important, he still appreciated the ability to see Lyons against his peers during the interview process.
“They were all excellent candidates,” Liakos said. “Any of them could do the job and do it well. Continuity is extremely important at this time. I feel confident that Doug Lyons can be the kind of leader that we need for this next phase of the Wakefield Public Schools.”
Committee member RJ Masse echoed the previous observations, agreeing that an internal candidate was preferable. “I’m very comfortable putting my vote toward Doug,” Masse said.
School Committee member Anne-Marie Fortier said that while she values continuity, it was not the primary quality that she was looking for in a new superintendent.
“I was looking for someone I could trust and who would inspire me as a School Committee member,” she said. “He’s been here for three years. That’s like a three-year interview.”
She said that after reviewing the information from the selection process, she was confident that Lyons would be supportive of his colleagues, students and parents and would “lead the district with a genuine, honest approach” and a “genuine desire to move our school forward.”
Outgoing School Committee member Kate Morgan agreed with Fortier, saying that continuity wasn’t the only thing that she was looking for either.
“We’ve made great strides in the last six years,” she said, calling Lyons’ dedication to education “unmatched.”
Chairman Rob Tiro, who was also attending his last School Committee meeting, began by thanking the screening committee.
In assessing the candidates, Tiro said that he “looked for the degree of passion that they would bring to the schools and the community.” He said that Lyons impressed him most in that regard. He said that Lyons was also characterized by an intense commitment to core values.
“He believes what he says and he fights for it,” Tiro said.
Markham made the motion to appoint Lyons as the next superintendent of schools, pending contract negotiations.
This morning, Lyons said that he was thrilled with the appointment.
“First, I want to thank the School Committee for their support,” he said. “Being appointed the next superintendent of the Wakefield Public Schools is such an honor. The district is so well situated to continue to grow and improve; the teachers, the principals and especially the students are working hard every day to grow and get better. Teaching and learning will continue to be the core of the district strategy, where the leadership will continue to develop and refine what Dr. Zrike and Dr. Smith have started. I am really excited to to have this opportunity to lead such an amazing district.”
