Canton superintendent announces plans to step down

Members of the Canton school community learned of another major departure in the administrative ranks this week with the announcement by Dr. Jennifer Fischer-Mueller that she will be stepping down from her post as Canton’s superintendent of schools.

Supt. Dr. Jennifer Fischer-Mueller addresses the graduates during the CHS Class of 2021 commencement. (Mike Barucci photo)

Fischer-Mueller, who has served in the role since 2016, shared the news on Tuesday in a letter to CPS families and staff.

“After much thought and conversations with my family, it is with mixed emotions that I have decided to leave the district and pursue a very exciting new position,” she wrote.

Fischer-Mueller said the district’s Strategic Framework, which she worked to develop and implement upon her arrival five years ago and helped to provide the foundation that Canton needed to navigate the challenges of COVID-19, “stands solidly in place for the future of the Canton Public Schools.”

“It has been an honor to serve as your superintendent of schools for the last five years,” she added. “All of the conditions for ongoing improvement remain in place and there’s a bright future ahead for Canton students, the schools and the district.”

Fischer-Mueller’s announcement comes on the heels of several other notable administrative departures over the past year in Canton, including former Student Services Director Deb Bromfield, who retired in October; former School Committee Chair Kristin Mirliani, who left after the conclusion of her term in April; and School Business Administrator Barry Nectow, who is retiring at the end of this month. Also moving on are CHS Principal David Turcotte, who tendered his resignation, and CHS Assistant Principal Kelly Cavanaugh, who was hired to be the next principal at Oliver Ames High School in Easton.

In a letter issued to CPS families and staff, School Committee Chair Kristian Merenda indicated that plans are already underway to “facilitate an efficient transition to new leadership.”

“At our next School Committee meeting on July 8,” noted Merenda, “we will discuss plans to appoint an interim superintendent to ensure positive momentum is maintained toward a smooth reopening of schools in the fall and the achievement of district goals in support of our Strategic Framework.”

On behalf of the School Committee, Merenda also thanked Fischer-Mueller and expressed their “most sincere gratitude” for her five years of dedication to the Canton Public Schools. “Canton is well-positioned for continued success thanks to her service,” she said.

Merenda added, “It is one of the highest priorities of our committee to be as thoughtful and transparent as possible. Given the nature of transitions with personnel, some information cannot always be shared immediately, but we want our community to know that we are continuing to assess our district’s current needs, strengths, and challenges and will certainly prioritize working with all of our stakeholders on the essential task of identifying a permanent successor to lead us into the future.”

A summary of Fischer-Mueller’s June 10 recognition remarks formally thanking all of the people and groups who helped to support the schools this past year has been posted at cantonschoolnews.com. News of Fischer-Mueller’s departure is a developing story and more information will appear in an upcoming edition of the Citizen.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Jun 25 2021. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.