Waltham Superintendent Echelson Resigns, Takes Job At Harvard

WALTHAM, MA — The superintendent of Waltham public schools is stepping down at the end of the year after four years as head of the district. Superintendent Drew Echelson announced his intention to resign at a school committee meeting Wednesday night.

That was the first a number of teachers and administrators had heard the news. It came just a day before he was officially named the director of an educational leadership program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he earned his masters and doctorate.

“It was a shocker,” said Marisa Maddox who teaches science at Waltham High School and got a flurry of texts from fellow teachers who were watching the School Committee meeting.

“I’m really sad. I’m sad that he’s leaving. I think he did a ton of wonderful things for the Waltham community. He was a real positive driving force in the community.”

He also had a knack for making his employees and teachers feel valued: Something that is a boost for employees in any field.

“He really supported his teachers and parents and he made a lot of decisions based on our input and what’s best for the students and parents. I really felt he valued the work that teachers did. And I think it’s rare for a superintendent to know all the teachers’ names and what they teach; and he does. And I just feel incredibly valued by him,” said Maddox.

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Last week Echelson accepted a position as director of the doctorate of education leadership program at Harvard Graduate School of Education, he said. In this role, he’ll be training aspiring system-level leaders to take on leadership roles —from superintendents to CEOs to leaders in the nonprofit sector.

“It was just a really awesome opportunity” said Echelson added when the school where he’s been lecturing evening classes to principals, approached him about the position he had to really think about it. “It was also a really difficult decision. I love Waltham.”

He said he was working on sending a letter to the community, but it was more difficult than he anticipated.

Echelson said he planned to stick around to the end of the academic school year and work with the School Committee around all the details for a transition in the weeks to come.

"I’m committed to making sure Waltham finishes strong. I plan to give 100 percent til the end,” he said.

His hope is to make sure the schematic design for the high school is finished by the time he leaves. Echelson said he has a couple people in mind within the district and outside the district he will recommend to the School Committee, but, ultimately, he is confident the district will find someone capable to fill his shoes.

“We have a mayor who is guided by a set of core values that believes in all kids. That’s the same principle, led by the mayor, that the School Committee has. So I know that they’ll make the right decision to get a leader who is driven similarly,” he told Patch in an interview.

During the four years he had the helm of the Waltham Public Schools the MSBA picked up the Waltham High School education plan as a model for high schools, the district started a bilingual initiative, the Whittemore and Stanley and Plympton schools all made major improvements, beating the state averages in some areas, even.

“There’s so much to be proud of I don’t take personal responsibility for any of this,” said Echelson.

But, there are still challenges ahead for Waltham.

“We are coming from a position of strength, but there’s equity issues, particularly about student experience we need to address,” said Echelson. “When I talk to students and hear about experiences. There’s too much discrepancy in the way students experience the school and too often those discrepancies break down over racial and socioeconomic lines. We have to make sure that the world-class education is afforded to all students, that’s the thing that keeps me up at night the most.”

Echelson and Mayor Jeannette McCarthy had a close a working relationship, and when he spoke with her about the decision, she understood the opportunity.

The mayor, for her part, said the city would miss him.

“It is a tremendous loss to the public school children, the school system and the City of Waltham. I personally will miss him very much, his vision and his work as well!” said McCarthy in an email to Patch.

So what’s next?

The School Committee will discuss next steps in the weeks and months ahead. Echelson, who lives in Somerville, said he plans to be as involved as is appropriate for the district and as the new superintendent (whoever that may be) is keen to have him be.

But he won’t soon forget about the city.

“Waltham continues to have and will always have a special place in my heart. I love this community. I just love that people say what they mean and go after it in ways that make the community stronger,” said Echelson.

Previously: Waltham Superintendent Drew Echelson To Resign

Where MCAS Shows Improvement In Waltham Schools

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Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).

Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch Staff