CPS student services director announces plans to retire

School Committee members were surprised and saddened to learn on December 19 that Debra Bromfield, Canton’s longtime student services director and a key member of the central administration team, has decided to retire in October of 2020.

While School Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Fischer-Mueller and members of the committee all said they were personally happy for Bromfield, they agreed that her expertise, hard work and diligence will be sorely missed and hard to replace.

Fischer-Mueller said when Bromfield first submitted her letter of resignation, she initially did not want to accept it. Bromfield came to the podium at last week’s committee meeting to deliver the announcement in an emotional, tear-filled statement in which she thanked the committee and the community.

Bromfield’s responsibilities as director are far-reaching, including oversight of the district’s special education and special services programs. She is the district’s longest serving central administrator, having begun in August of 2010. Prior to her resignation, Fischer-Mueller had begun the search for an assistant director of student services, a position that she still plans to fill. Fischer-Mueller said Bromfield gave her plenty of time to fill the director’s position, although she acknowledges it will be difficult to replace her.

Fischer-Mueller delivered the news after announcing her plans to hold interviews for the assistant superintendent for teaching and learning position, last held by Jen Henderson two years ago. Pat Kinsella, Canton’s assistant superintendent for special projects, recently tendered her resignation due to family reasons, and Fischer-Mueller noted after Thursday’s meeting that Kinsella’s position was a temporary one.

Fischer-Mueller said the assistant superintendent for teaching and learning will take on a range of leadership responsibilities across the district, including educational equity, pre-K learning expectations, curriculum, instruction and assessment, adult learning and professional development, educator evaluation, staff services and human resources, and oversight of teaching and learning.

Whoever is selected will oversee the director of teaching and learning and director of technology and digital learning. The position will be advertised and open to all in-house and out-of-district candidates. Members of the school staff, other administrators, parents and students will participate in the interview process with interviews beginning on January 22 and finalists invited to spend a day in the Canton Public Schools on February 3.

The other major news from the meeting concerned an announcement by School Business Administrator Barry Nectow that Canton was again rejected by the Mass. School Building Authority (MSBA) for 40 percent reimbursement of its planned renovation of the Galvin Middle School. Twelve projects were approved out of a total of 61 applications. Canton’s previous application for funding of the GMS project was also rejected. Nectow said with the recent legislative approval of the Student Opportunity Act, more funding will be made available in the next fiscal year …

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Posted by Mike Berger on Dec 27 2019. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.