To the editor:
The impact of an excellent school superintendent was on display at the May 6 School Committee meeting. At that meeting, the building administrators and curriculum leaders from each of our four schools reported on the progress being made on their school improvement plan. The reports from each school reflect priorities laid out by Superintendent Thomas Geary in his goals that focus on curriculum, instruction, and assessment, and school culture.
The middle school leaders demonstrated the many areas being worked on, including:
- Designing strategies to improve teaching and learning, including peer observations and the beanstalk reading incentive program.
- Working to share out best practices and best forms of assessment toward helping students learn.
- Targeting teacher professional goals toward helping students improve their writing
- Making efforts to achieve the school’s citizenship goal including the creation of a new school-based student/parent handbook highlighting a code of conduct
- Observing the positive impact of new dress code and cell phone policies.
Elementary school principals Cronin and King presented along with curriculum leaders, the many areas of improvement including:
- Identifying, piloting, and selecting a new high-quality, evidence-based math curriculum
- Enhancing writing instruction with staff by literacy lead teachers
- Positive impacts of the new dress code and cell phone policies where teachers have reported much less distraction for students
- SEL (social and emotional learning) curriculum continues to be developed and refined to help students build positive self-concept and social skills.
High school leaders reported looking at structures and strategies related to student centered practices including:
- Reviewing a possible 2026/27 school day schedule that will enhance student academic opportunities.
- Updating interdisciplinary classes like American Humanities. Staff has visited Weston and Concord Carlisle high schools to share practices.
- Working on an academic integrity policy for students around artificial Intelligence
- New cell phone policy has teachers excited and has reduced conduct referrals this year
Superintendent Geary has shown what great leadership looks like in an outstanding school system. He has set the right goals and empowered leadership and staff to achieve them. Tom Geary has energized the desire for excellence. Thank you, Superintendent Geary, and all of our school leaders and staff for everything you do every day for the children of Lynnfield. Please keep Lynnfield moving toward excellence!
Kathleen Dario
