July 10, 2009

Dear SAD #36 Administrators, Faculty, Staff, & Community,

It is with great pleasure that I introduce myself to you as your new Superintendent of Schools.  I took possession of my office on July 6 and it’s been a whirlwind ever since!

As it is with every new position, the upcoming months will be ones of listening and learning for me.  I would never pretend that I already know what’s best for your schools and your communities.  Even though there are many similarities in cities and towns across this great state, each has its own identity and culture to honor and respect.  Being a reflection of the community in which they are located, this is also true of schools.

I have heard wonderful things about the people in this area.  You are independent, committed, supportive, caring, and hard-working, all qualities that I admire and aspire to myself.  While being part of a team who figures out how to best educate children is a huge priority for me, I am equally interested in building positive relationships with all members of the district and the community.  One can have all the knowledge in the world, but it matters little if good relationships don’t exist.

In that spirit, I have put together an ‘Entry Plan’ that you will find under the Superintendent's Entry Plan link. This plan will serve as a guide to me in my first few months on the job. It’s important to me to hear from representative members of the community at large, as well as from the school community, about needs and priorities. I share this ‘Entry Plan with you in an attempt to be public and transparent, something I hope will become a hallmark of my tenure in the district.

I very much look forward to meeting many of you in the coming months. I hope that you have a wonderful summer that’s filled with lots more sun than we’ve had so far!!

Judith Harvey