Mary Skipper narrowly voted in as new superintendent of Boston Public Schools
The Boston School Committee has chosen Mary Skipper, the superintendent of a neighboring city, to be the next superintendent of the Boston Public Schools district.
The committee voted 4-3 in favor of Skipper, Superintendent of Somerville Public Schools (SPS), over Dr. Tommy Welch, a regional superintendent within Boston Public Schools (BPS), during a virtual meeting Wednesday night.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Superintendent Mary Skipper as the experienced leader and dedicated partner that Boston needs for our young people and families,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “In this moment of challenge and opportunity, Mary is uniquely prepared to drive forward the systemic reforms and immediate results our students deserve.”
Skipper, a Dorchester resident and mother, joined Somerville Public Schools in July of 2015.
The 55-year-old previously worked for Boston Public Schools, and her career at BPS included a stint as Network Superintendent of High Schools.
She helped to launch TechBoston Academy and served as founding headmaster of the school.
After the school committee voted Mary Skipper as the next superintendent, she released a statement, saying, “I am honored and humbled to have been selected to lead the district that raised me as an educator and solidified my passion for making a difference in the lives of students,” said Skipper. “This is a pivotal time in Boston and BPS’ history, and nothing less than our student’s and our city’s future is at stake. I look forward to working with our families, educators, community leaders and our students to ensure every bps student has the opportunity for a great education that sets them up for success in school and in life.”
Skipper earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Latin from Tufts University, a Master’s in Education Policy from Harvard and a Master’s in Education Leadership from Columbia Teachers College.
Skipper must now formally accept the offer for the Boston Public Schools position in order to begin contract negotiations with the school committee.
Wednesday night’s razor-thin vote from the Boston School Committee came after hours of public testimony from more than 60 people.
Skipper received more testimony in her favor over Welch, but there were participants who weren’t in favor of either candidate.
Some called for the search to be reopened and expanded to include more candidates of color.
The vote was the result of Superintendent Brenda Cassellius announcing back in February that she would be stepping down at the end of the school year. The deputy of superintendent of academics will serve as the acting superintendent until Skipper steps into the role. That just adds to a long list of people who have led Boston Public Schools in the last couple of decades. In fact, to find a superintendent who has served more than five years, you have to go back to the 90′s.
Thomas Payzant has had the longest tenure in recent memory, serving as Boston Public Schools Superintendent from 1995 to 2006. From that time until now, the district has had three interim superintendents. And both Tommy Chang and current Superintendent Cassilieus served only three years before calling it quits.
As the district prepares for another new leader, it’s a critical time for Boston Public Schools as they’ve reached an agreement to avoid state takeover and have to meet some critical benchmarks before Skipper even takes on her new role.
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