LYNN — Six months into her tenure leading Lynn Public Schools, Superintendent Dr. Molly Cohen outlined progress on district goals Thursday as the School Committee prepares to consider extending her contract.
“I have tried to accomplish a full year’s worth of goals in just under six months, but the sense of urgency I feel, which is also evident in the people around me, reflects our commitment to our roles and the district,” Cohen told the Committee.
“My theory of action is simple: excellent instruction in well-resourced classrooms with well-supported teachers will stabilize the system, especially during this transition,” she said.
Cohen said her entry plan for the district was “designed to stabilize this system while strengthening instruction and trust.”
She said, “Excellent instruction is our social justice strategy. A great education is the equalizer in an inequitable world. I believe instructional leadership is how we stabilize, how we build belonging, and how we deliver equitable access to rigorous learning for all of the students in Lynn.”
Cohen also emphasized building relationships and fostering a sense of belonging among staff and families, using their feedback to help guide future plans.
She said during the last six months she has launched two councils, the Staff Professional Development Advisory Group and the Family and Community Engagement Council. These groups were designed to inform the superintendent on “what is most important to our stakeholders.”
A Family and Community Engagement Fair will be held in August, Cohen said.
She said she also administered a staff survey “in an effort to capture some important data for a Voices of Lynn report summarizing this year’s endeavors.”
Cohen also highlighted survey results from administrators and staff at Lynn Public Schools.
She said the survey found that 80% of staff reported confidence in leadership, 77% reported an increased sense of stability, 70% reported clearer and more consistent communication, and 24% were neutral regarding the instructional core.
Mayor Jared C. Nicholson said he plans to put Cohen’s contract on the agenda for the Committee’s next meeting so that they “could consider whether we want to extend that and sort of make it clear that the superintendent’s status is moving beyond the interim category.”
