Jason Parent named assistant superintendent
Feb. 23—LONDONDERRY — The school district has named its new assistant superintendent and it's a familiar face.
Londonderry High School Principal Jason Parent was named assistant superintendent at a school board meeting Feb. 14.
He will begin the job on July 1 of this year.
Parent has spent the past six months serving as both high school principal along with taking on interim assistant superintendent duties for grades six through 12.
The board vote to make Parent the assistant to Superintendent Dan Black was unanimous.
"When the Assistant Superintendent Committee submitted their unanimous decision to the board for Jason Parent to be named the next assistant superintendent, I was thrilled," said school board member Bob Slater. "I am so glad Jason applied for this position as I know his already proven leadership qualities and commitment to our entire school district for the past 19 years."
Slater added Parent will be instrumental in moving the school district forward in many positive ways.
Parent began his career in Londonderry in 2003 as an assistant principal at Londonderry High School, and starting an alternative pathway for students to earn their diplomas, among other educational initiatives.
He was recognized as the New Hampshire Assistant Principal of the Year in 2007.
Parent then became high school principal in 2008, the year Londonderry High was named New Hampshire High School of the Year.
Parent is credited for many successes including NEASC re-accreditation processes; implementing career and college ready goals for students; giving a big new charge to the Londonderry High School Hall of Fame recognition of staff, students and community members, leading high school staff and students through the pandemic; organizing a 1:1 device initiative for all students, and supporting the daily life of the high school through his leadership team and staff.
In a press release from the school district, Parent is also described as someone who "supports students involved in athletic, academic, musical, and extracurricular events all year long. He remains calm in crisis, and he makes himself available to staff, students, and families. He also has mentored several aspiring leaders during his time as principal."
North School Principal Paul Dutton said Parent has supported all who surround him.
"Jay believes in empowering and supporting all those around him, teachers, staff and students and has inspired others to be educational leaders, including myself," Dutton said.
Parent was inducted into the Londonderry High School Hall of Fame in 2017, and in 2018, he was named the NHASC Administrator of the Year.
Additionally, Parent has spent many years on the NHIAA Executive Council, where he also served as president of the organization.
Parent is currently the third longest tenured principal in New Hampshire, with 15 years as Londonderry High's leader.
Superintendent Daniel Black said Parent will be a strong and dedicated leader.
"Watching Jason through the many steps of our hiring process made a few things very clear to me and the entire hiring committee, that Jason is very dedicated to the Londonderry students, staff, and community and he is looking to evolve his career here in a new path to support all three," Black said.
The superintendent added that Parent has many strengths in many areas to make academic programs even more strong in the years ahead.
"He is going to put in the time and effort and do whatever it takes to be highly effective in this new role and make sure Londonderry gets stronger in what we do as a school system," Black said. "We are lucky he will take the next steps in his career here with us."
The search for a new high school principal will begin in March.
