Fairfield Superintendent to Leave School District

Dr. David Title is retiring as Fairfield Superintendent of Schools effective Aug. 1 to take a full-time position with Sacred Heart University.

Title, who was Fairfield’s highest-paid employee in 2015 with $293,504 in earnings, announced he was retiring in a letter to the school district’s staff and the board of education on Friday.

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Title’s new job at Sacred Heart University will be as a tenure‐track Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, which he will begin in mid‐August.

Below is Title’s retirement letter that was sent to the school district on Friday:

Dear Board Members,

When I arrived in Fairfield in July, 2010, I knew that serving as the Superintendent of Schools would be the perfect professional challenge to highlight and complete my career in public education. I began as a 22‐year‐old high school history teacher in Longmeadow, Massachusetts in 1979 and have served, for the past 14 years, as a superintendent of schools. This position in Fairfield has been everything I expected: leading a large, high‐performing school district to even greater heights, in a community that rightfully expects excellence. Using all of my accumulated knowledge, skills and energy has been an exhilarating experience that I have proudly enjoyed.

I had no timetable for how long I intended to stay. As many of you know, our family has endured a number of stressful and emotionally draining events over the past few years. The outpouring of support from this community has been incredible. The tremendous support from my professional colleagues and this Board is valued beyond measure. The teachers and administrators in this district are truly remarkable. But even with all of this support, these personal challenges have compelled me to adjust the demands in my daily schedule.

I know the perseverance, patience, determination and resilience necessary to do this job in this school system, at the high standard to which I hold myself accountable. While I continue to have passion, energy and love for public education, the time has come for me to direct my focus elsewhere.

Teaching is my first love. I find I get the greatest job satisfaction, even in my current position, when I am teaching adults. And now, Sacred Heart University has offered me a full‐time opportunity to teach aspiring school and district leaders and to also assist with the development of a doctoral and certification program for aspiring superintendents. I have accepted that offer and begin as a tenure‐track Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership in mid‐August. As a result, I will be retiring from this position as of August 1, 2016.

My family has lived and thrived in this community for the past five years and we have grown to love everything Fairfield has to offer. We will continue to live here into the foreseeable future.

Between now and August 1, I pledge to give my all to the Fairfield Public Schools and to ensure a smooth transition to my successor.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

David G. Title

Superintendent of Schools