New Norton Superintendent Settling In for the First Day of School

Joseph Baeta was named the permanent superintendent of public schools for Norton earlier this year, and now he’s prepping for his first day of school.

“I’ve gotten to spend some time talking with folks have the history of the district,” he said.  “It’s been really get to know you-type meetings.”

Baeta started out at the Southeastern Regional Technical School, moved to Sharon and then became the superintendent of schools in Holbrook after working nine months as the high school principal and later as the interim superintendent.

He said he’s been meeting with administrators from the schools, Wheaton personnel, the police chief Brian Clark,  the teacher unions and has also been to his first Buildings Committee meeting to get a feel for the district. He said he’s got meetings scheduled with virtually all other officials and administrators, such as the Board of Selectmen and town manager Michael Yunits.

“I’m doing a lot of data gathering coming into the community,” he said.

Baeta Norton is welcome break from many of the schools he’s been working at temporarily and he’s looking forward to a permanent home.

“I think Norton is a different place,” he said. “This is not a district where I’m being asked to come in and turn the place upside down.”

Baeta said while there have been a good number of interim superintendents in the district, the town has been very supportive and proactive about their students’ education.

“It’s a district that’s been in transition,” he said. “I think my general first impression is the sense of community in Norton in terms of everyone I’ve met has been very supportive of the public education system. People here are very positive about living here and want to have a good public school system and raise their kids here.”

Baeta was chosen for the position after a lengthy search process that started in November after the previous search failed to reach a favorable conclusion in contract negotiations.