Newton named interim principal at Glenbrook School

Date: 6/28/2011

June 27, 2011

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

LONGMEADOW — Longmeadow Public School Superintendent Marie Doyle announced on June 22 that Susan Newton will act as the interim principal at Glenbrook Middle School.

The vacancy at Glenbrook was created when the district selected outgoing principal Michael Sullivan to replace retiring Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Maureen Wilson.

Doyle said the challenge of finding someone who could fill the role of principal at a school with Glenbrook’s unique qualities and programs was a challenge.

“Glenbrook is an extraordinary middle school and we really wanted someone who could come in, appreciate the hard work of the staff and continue our work with professional learning communities,” she said.

The district received a strong response from a vast array of candidates, but according to Doyle, none of the applicants from outside of the district appeared to be a good fit.

“In our interviews, we found people who were really qualified but perhaps weren’t at the same place we were,” she said. “We decided that we had someone inside that had administrative experience, that was well-versed in professional learning communities and that had the respect of the staff and the students. That was Susan Newton.”

Newton has served Glenbrook Middle School through the past 16 years, acting as a team leader and teacher at the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade levels. She has been a part of the curriculum development process for all four of the major subject areas and has experience coordinating multiple teams.

She has been involved in the teacher evaluation process and has overseen the coordination of the Massachusetts Curriculum Assessment System testing. Additionally, she has served on the school’s Child Study Team, Crisis Team, and Leadership Team.

Doyle said concerns of continuity at the school loomed large in the hiring committee’s thought process and ultimately played a significant role in the decision to look internally.

“It’s a huge factor because Longmeadow has an outstanding school district and our culture and expectations are extraordinary, so you really need someone who can appreciate that and understand what our goals are,” Doyle said. “I think that administrators that come in need to take a step back and see how we operate and that was one thing we thought about with the candidates that came forward — would they really acclimate quickly to our climate? Would they be able to build off the excellent work that we’ve done?

“In stepping back, we thought that compared to the field [of candidates] we had, Susan Newton was by far the better choice,” she continued.

Doyle said the feedback on the district’s choice of leader for the school has been overwhelmingly positive.

“The hiring committee, parents and staff had been told that if we didn’t have overwhelming support for one candidate, then we would come up with another proposal,” she said. “Susan Newton is a highly respected teacher by her peers and loved by the parents and students, so the reaction has been very, very positive. I think the only concern that we’ve had is that parents are going to miss having her in the classroom with their children.”