LYNN — School Superintendent Dr. Patrick Tutwiler has asked the School Committee to authorize his search for three new administrators.
Tutwiler is seeking an assistant director for English Learner Education (ELE), assistant director for social-emotional learning (SEL) and an out-of-district program specialist.
Closing the significant achievement gap for ELL and non-ELL students, and a focus on social-emotional learning are two of Tutwiler’s goals for the district. Lynn schools will roll out a new K-5 social-emotional learning curriculum next year, and the district has put a focus on better meeting the needs of ELL students, who are one of the lowest performing groups in Lynn Public Schools and most at-risk of dropping out of high school.
All three are union positions with base salaries posted in the Lynn School Administrators Association contract, according to Tutwiler. Base salaries are $92,760 for the assistant director positions and $86,499 for the out-of-district program specialist, but upon approval by the School Committee, each salary would have to be impact bargained with the union, he said.
The need for an assistant director for ELE is driven by the district’s efforts to comply with the state’s Language Opportunity for our Kids (LOOK) act. Passed in November 2017, the act provides more opportunities for parents of English Language learners, as well as increased accountability for schools and districts in meeting the needs of those students.
Adding the position is meant to build up the capacity of the ELE office, which services 4,300 ELL students and 3,000 former ELL students. The additional support would also help the district launch a planned two-way Spanish immersion program at the kindergarten level at Harrington Elementary School, Tutwiler said.
Although the assistant director would be an added position, Tutwiler said it existed in the previous school administrators contract before the current agreement, which began on Aug. 1, 2016.
The assistant director for SEL would be a change in title and increase in salary from the $86,499 set for the program specialist for parent and family engagement, which was established in 2015.
The job was incorrectly classified at its inception, according to Tutwiler, and the current responsibilities of the program specialist mirror other positions within the curriculum department that are all assistant director jobs.
The position was created after the district committed to hiring multiple social workers in 2014. Those hires and the district’s need to provide direction on student support and parent and family engagement prompted the need for the program specialist, according to Tutwiler.
“The creation of the administrative position of program specialist for parent and family engagement, along with the hiring of multiple social workers really marked the beginning of a concerted district focus on social and emotional learning,” Tutwiler said.
The third position is needed because the district’s current model for servicing 183 students in 45 out-of-district placements is insufficient, according to Tutwiler. An out-of-district placement is for kids whose needs can’t be met by their local schools.
He said the addition of an out-of-district program specialist would allow for a shift to increased hours during the day and year-round support that would allow Lynn Public Schools to better serve students and develop stronger relationships with providers.
The superintendent said he believes the position would eventually lead to a budget savings for the district, as the specialist could focus on collaborating with the director of special education to maximize on existing programs for students and create additional programs where possible.
The Personnel Subcommittee moved on Thursday to vote to send the three positions to the full committee, which will meet next Thursday. The committee is seeking candidates that can speak and understand more than one language.
