Andover Superintendent Resigns, Will Remain Until End Of December

ANDOVER, MA — Andover Public Schools Superintendent Sheldon Berman has resigned, the School Committee announced Thursday. He will remain with the district through the end of December.

Berman will move back to the Pacific Northwest, where his wife has taken a new job, he said. Prior to coming to Andover in 2015, Berman was the superintendent of schools in Eugene, Oregon.

The School Committee will meet next week to discuss steps for selecting an interim superintendent, it said in a news release. It will then attempt to fill the position with a new, permanent superintendent for July 1, 2021.

“I have asked the School Committee to accept my resignation in order to relocate back to the Pacific Northwest, where my wife has accepted a new position,” Berman said in a statement. “I very much appreciate my tenure in Andover. It is a wonderful community and an exceptional school district. The district is gifted with incredibly talented and dedicated administrators, teachers and staff who have been a joy to work with. I’m proud of the leadership I have been able to provide and I will miss the people with whom I have had the privilege to work.”

School Committee chair Shannon Scully thanked Berman for his time with the district, including the "successful launch of the 2020-21 school year under challenging COVID-19 restrictions."

“Since his arrival, Dr. Berman has grown Andover’s reputation as a top district in the state, guided teams of committed educators, and developed many innovative opportunities for students," Scully said in a statement.

Berman's tenure was marked by controversy, most recently when the teachers union voted no confidence in him over the administration's handling of reopening. The union staged an action where they refused to enter buildings for professional development. The state labor relations board declared the action, which lasted only a day, an illegal strike.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.