Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 7/11/2022
LUDLOW – On July 1, Dr. Frank Tiano took over as the new superintendent of Ludlow Public Schools and sat down with Reminder Publishing to discuss his aspirations for his new job and how he hopes to move the district forward.
Tiano said he was happy to be joining the Ludlow Public Schools District after eight years as a superintendent in other school districts.
“As I was looking for a district that really matched my values and a district that was going forward, well organized and had a community that is committed to supporting the schools – it was just a great fit. I grew up in Waltham, which is a mill town, and just really felt the connection and I was quite happy to land the position,” he said.
Rather than bring a new approach to the district, Tiano said he wants to build on the work that is already being done here.
“My approach is that I am joining Ludlow’s team. Part of my entry plan is to meet with as many people as I can and just understand the values, our strengths, our weaknesses and what’s the best path to move forward,” he said. “I have some experience and can make some changes to help and support our teachers but every decision we make is going to come down to what is in the best interests for kids and families.”
Tiano said his goal is to leave the district in a better place than when he started by doing what is best for the children in Ludlow.
“There’s a lot of pride in this town and I want to build leadership capacity and strong systems of high-quality curriculum, best practice in instruction, a culture of continuous improvement and making decisions based on information,” he said. “It’s about meeting the needs of the kids, student achievement and we want to make sure we are engaged in best practices moving forward.”
With Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds set to expire in 2024 and the district having only received a 1 percent increase for the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) budget, Tiano said he is already in the planning stages for the FY24 budget.
“Right now, I’m putting together a budget timeline for going forward to next year. It really comes with setting priorities; there’s a finite amount of funds so we want to make sure that we are allocating those funds where we get the most bang for our buck. We need to make sure we are spending the town’s money wisely and efficiently,” he said.
Alongside the looming financial challenges, Tiano said another challenge will be helping students and staff deal with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our goal is to make sure that our staff is able to assess our students both academically, behaviorally and emotionally so that we make sure we are meeting them where they’re at. Also providing support for our staff – everybody’s been affected, and we need to best serve them so they can serve our kids and families,” he said.
Tiano added that continued teamwork across the district is the best way to help build back after COVID-19.
“It’s been great, the metaphor is trying to drink out of a fire hose, trying to wrap my head around the community and around all the different aspects – financial, facilities, instruction, professional development and so forth,” he said.
Since he was hired in the spring, Tiano said he has been preparing himself by connecting with people in the district and researching it while he was still working at his old job.
Along with becoming superintendent, Tiano added that he recently moved to Ludlow.
“It’s one of the best ways to do the job. You have to understand the community and what it’s all about and the best way to do that is joining them,” he said.
Tiano added that he is excited for the upcoming year.
“What I look most forward to every year is that sense of shared commitment and working together. I visited all four schools in the spring, and I love talking with kids, teachers, custodians, cafeteria workers and continuing that sense of team that I found here and joining their team and providing them support so we can do the very best we can for the kids of Ludlow,” he said. “I enjoy the work, I really do.”