School leaders shuffled in Lynn

LYNN – School Superintendent Catherine Latham is completing the reassignment of elementary principals as part of state-mandated changes stemming from low test scores and under performance at two local schools.The two schools with questionable academic track records are Connery and Harrington.The personnel shuffle includes Connery Elementary Principal Patricia Riley who will take over as principal of Shoemaker, replacing current Principal Linda Mann.Mann is scheduled to retire at the end of the academic year.Mary Dill, principal at Tracy, will assume Riley’s responsibilities as principal of Connery.At Harrington, principal Michael Molnar will depart for a new assignment as the School Department’s director of the Language Support Program for the Lynn Public Schools.According to Latham, Molnar previously served as assistant director of the language program, working under the supervision of Paula Sheppard.Sheppard will retire at the end of the school year.Deb Ruggiero, principal at Brickett, will become principal at Harrington.”I’m pleased that, although both principals are sad about leaving their current schools, they are energized by the challenge that this opportunity presents and are well prepared to begin,” Latham said, referring to Dill and Ruggerio.Both Dill and Ruggerio start their new posts July 1. Connery and Harrington each have about 600 students, placing them among the city’s larger public learning centers.”All current principals will remain in their respective assignments through the end of the school year,” Latham said Monday. “We have been working with the two principals, informally meeting with faculty and heading up the redesign at Connery and Harrington.”While the redesign gets under way, the School Department will advertise for two additional principals to assume the leadership at the Tracy and Brickett elementary schools, according to the superintendent.”As we are all aware, the Connery and Harrington elementary schools have both been designated as Lynn’s Level 4 schools by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. New legislation focused on school improvement requires radical change in both schools,” Latham said. “I’m joined by my entire staff in the process of actively working to redesign and reposition those schools for the hard work of school improvement. Connery and Harrington elementary schools will have new principals to oversee this work, and those principals will act as the leaders of their respective design teams.”The two Lynn schools were listed last May among the state’s 35 most persistently low performing institutions. As a result, the schools were made eligible for federal aid to bring about the necessary improvements through a blend of new school designs, better instructional support and stronger leadership.Gov. Deval Patrick signed the state’s new Education Reform law in January 2009, prompting quick intervention at those schools identified as underperforming. Any subsequent redesigns must be carried out in collaboration with the superintendent, school committee, teachers’ union, administrators, teachers, community representatives and parents.