The acting superintendent for Norwich Public Schools, Susan Lessard, said she hopes to move the district forward by focusing on students and supporting staff.
Lessard has been in her role for about three weeks. She was asked to temporarily step in after the Norwich Board of Education placed current superintendent Dr. Kristen Stringfellow on administrative leave pending an investigation into personnel complaints.
"I didn’t hesitate to be honest with you," Lessard said. "As long as I am in this role, I am going to make sure I do the best thing for this community.”
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"I want to be very clear that in placing Dr. Stringfellow on administrative leave pending this investigation, the board has not reached any conclusion [as to] whether or not Stringfellow engaged in any improper conduct," School Board Chairperson Robert Aldi said at the September meeting.
The board chair said putting Stringfellow on leave was in the best interest of the district to allow the investigation to move forward effectively.
Last week, the Norwich assistant superintendent was also placed on administrative leave. The Board of Education named Jamie Bender, retired director of student services and special education, as the acting assistant superintendent.
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Lessard said she and Bender had worked together previously and she is excited to work with her again. Their goal is to focus on students. Lessard said she will be hosting office hours in schools.
"The one way we can make sure that kids are getting what they need is if our staff feel supported," Lessard said. "We want to make sure there is a lot of collaboration with them. We want to make sure there is a lot of transparency.”
Teachers had previously raised concerns about the district's leadership. They said they were afraid to speak up and were among those calling for change.
William Priest leads the Norwich Teachers League. He said they are eager to see how the investigation turns out, but in the meantime, they have noticed a shift since the leadership changed and celebrated the board's decision to appoint Bender and Lessard.
"The cloud that has been hanging over has been lifted. People feel a lot more relief," Priest said. "Teachers just feel at ease."
Lessard, an educator of 25 years, said as she addresses the district's challenges, she will not let the negative get in the way.
"Let's look at the good. We can't move forward if we don't look at the good," Lessard said.
