Folan offered permanent superintendent position

School Superintendent Derek Folan will soon have the “interim” tag removed from his title after the Canton School Committee voted 5-0 last week to offer him the permanent position.

Derek Folan

Both sides were reportedly thrilled with the decision and contract negotiations are already well underway. Folan’s one-year interim contract went into effect last summer and is due to expire at the end of June.

In a recently completed six-month review, the School Committee gave Folan very high marks for his performance as interim superintendent with members specifically praising his communication skills, his willingness to collaborate, and his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the recent winter surge.

Committee members had originally planned to do another performance review in May but ultimately decided they had enough data points to move forward with an offer.

A 10-year veteran of the Canton Public Schools, Folan served for eight years as principal of Canton High School before being promoted to assistant superintendent in the summer of 2020. He served a brief stint as interim superintendent during the 2020-21 school year while former Superintendent Jennifer Fischer-Mueller was on medical leave, and he jumped at the chance to do it again after Fischer-Mueller resigned last June.

Folan made it clear at the time that he had a “sincere and enthusiastic interest” in the permanent superintendent position, and he has embraced all aspects of the job since stepping into the top spot in August.

Reacting to the permanent job offer, Folan said he was thrilled to receive such a strong vote of confidence from the School Committee and he is excited for the chance to lead the Canton Public Schools. “I love being in this community,” said Folan.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Feb 25 2022. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.