Departing supt. to lead early education lab school

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jennifer Fisher-Mueller is leaving her post as Canton’s top educational leader to join a team of professionals who want to create a lab model of early education delivery. She will remain in her current position until there is an orderly transition between her and the interim school superintendent, which will be decided by the School Committee at its next meeting on Thursday, July 8, at 7 p.m.

Fischer-Mueller announced that she will be joining a team of experienced professionals in education, philanthropy and business to create what the model of high-quality, early education can and should be for every child, regardless of a family’s ability to pay. She will lead the new lab school in Brookline called Trust Early Learners and its international education program, Global Early Education.

“This is an amazing professional opportunity that came to me recently and happened very quickly,” said Fischer-Mueller. “I have the utmost confidence in the administrative team and staff of the Canton Public Schools to carry on with their commitment to academic excellence and educational equity.”

In a June 22 letter to Canton families and staff, Fischer-Mueller said her decision to leave the Canton schools was made with “mixed emotions” but after “much thought and conversations” with her family.

“Since I arrived in July 2016, I have enjoyed working closely with the CPS staff and families on behalf of Canton students,” she wrote. “Within my first year, we created an ambitious Strategic Framework that has guided us through the years and provided the foundation we needed as we moved through the pandemic. The Strategic Framework 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. All the conditions for ongoing improvement remain in place and there’s a bright future ahead for Canton students, the schools and the district.”

In a follow-up interview with the Citizen, Fischer-Mueller was asked whether health or the stress of what she went through during the COVID-19 pandemic played a factor in her decision, and she indicated that there was “no single variable” that drove her decision. “My top priorities are my family, my health, and doing meaningful work that I love,” she said.

When asked if her decision is in line with her current career and professional goals, she replied, “In my earlier professional life, my goals related to roles. Over time, my professional goal has become very clear and is not defined by a role. Instead, it is my goal to always do work that is meaningful and has real impact — I need to love it! Education is my professional passion and there are many roles within the profession that meet that criteria. I’ve loved my job in Canton.”

Fischer Mueller said she will not play a part in choosing her successor, but she will “support the process in any way that is helpful.” She added that one of the specific roles of a School Committee is to hire the school superintendent …

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Posted by Mike Berger on Jul 2 2021. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.