Superintendent Of Schools Announces His Resignation

     Superintendent Dennis A. Richards is stepping down after three years at the helm of Falmouth Public Schools.
     He made the announcement this past Tuesday at the Falmouth School Committee reading from a prepared statement in which he explained that he was retiring in order to spend more time with his family, including his three children and four grandchildren.
     Afterward, Mr. Richards said in a phone interview, he began thinking about retirement in the spring, but hinted that he is not necessarily leaving the field of education for retirement. “I have real interests in education that started back 38 years ago and those are still with me today,” he said. “I care about learning and trying to improve education,” he said. “I suspect I will do that for many years to come, but I have no specific job at this point.”
     In February 2005, the school committee chose Mr. Richards to replace then-outgoing superintendent Peter L. Clark, who had held the position for nine years and had been an administrator in Falmouth schools since 1972.
     Mr. Richards’s stay in Falmouth was much more brief, officially starting in July 2005 and ending just over three years later, despite extending his contract to 2010 last year.
     His current salary is $139,600, making him the highest paid public employee in Falmouth.
     As a municipal employee, Mr. Richards’s retirement is determined by the highest three consecutive years of his salary.
     He said he plans to return with his wife, Mary Anne Richards, to the house in Andover, where he lived before getting the Falmouth job. During the past three years, Mr. Richards and his wife have been living in a rental house on Pin Oak Way in Falmouth.
     Before coming to Falmouth, Mr. Richards had been an associate superintendent of schools in Reading for 12 years.
     Jamie E. MacDonald IV, chairman of the school committee, said on Wednesday that when Mr. Richards was first chosen, “I figured he would end up retiring here, which is essentially what he is doing. I just thought he would last longer.”
     However, Mr. MacDonald said, “in this day and age, I think it is typical” that tenures of school superintendents are brief, noting that budget demands and dealing with state and federal mandates can be difficult.
     Despite these difficulties, Mr. Richards said, “my experience in Falmouth was everything I hoped it would be.”
     Among his proudest accomplishments, he listed overseeing the revision of the district’s mission statement, core beliefs, and strategic plan, which was approved last fall, as one of the highlights.
     He noted the mission statement—“to educate students so that they are engaged in their education in a way which develops their capacity to pursue their goals and fosters life-long learning”—was a crucial step for the district. “It helped to decide what this school system is all about and it will stand the test of time,” he said. “Everything I know about learning is in line with that statement.”
     He also has focused on improving curriculum and instruction. Last year, he said, the district began a new elementary reading program that will expand to include a literacy program this upcoming year.
     During his tenure, Mr. Richards has overseen the hiring of five new principals in the district, most recently Joseph V. Driscoll at Falmouth High School and Paul D. Fay at the Lawrence School. With the new leadership at these two schools, he said, education has only improved. “There are positive changes being led by the administration there who are working with staff very closely to determine the best way to teach our children,” he said.
     In addition, he has made multiple changes to the administration, including the additions of Elizabeth L. McGonagle as the director of curriculum and instruction and Wendy K. Haskell as the director of technology and library/media.
     Both had high praise for Mr. Richards on Tuesday, saying that he was a major reason they came to Falmouth. Ms. McGonagle touted Mr. Richards for his willingness to adopt new technology into the curriculum.
     “I am here because of Dennis,” Ms. Haskell said, adding that she was disappointed to see him leave.
     At Tuesday’s meeting, Mr. MacDonald said, he accepted Mr. Richards’s resignation letter with regret. In 2005, Mr. Richards inherited everything, from new principals, administrative staff, and the high school renovation. “The ship ran steady through that transition,” he said. “I would like to thank him for that.”
     School committee member Samuel H. Patterson Jr. commended Mr. Richards for his leadership in helping the district improve academically year after year since he was hired.
     Among his challenges he faced was coping with a high school renovation that is nearly two years behind schedule and $19 million over budget. Despite this, he said, “when students start up in September, they will see a staff re-energized and be able to take advantage of a new space the community has created to provide students with a real strong challenging education.”
     Other obstacles he has faced include a tough economy, which he foresees will continue to be a problem for Falmouth. Because of  these issues, Mr. Richards was forced to cut staff and programs this year, prolonging the budgetary process into March, when it has normally ended in February.
     “My concern about the future in Falmouth is the economy. Nationally and statewide, it is creating fiscal challenges we haven’t seen in a while,” Mr. Richards said. He said it will require the next superintendent to develop collaborative efforts with outside institutions, tap into grant funding, and make wise decisions about the money the district does receive.
     Next year, that responsibility will fall into the hands of Marc P. Dupuis, the assistant superintendent for finance and human resources and a 15-year employee of Falmouth Public Schools. The school committee tapped him to be the interim superintendent during an executive session on Tuesday, following Mr. Richards’s announcement.
     With his experience, Mr. MacDonald said, Mr. Dupuis was a natural choice to lead Falmouth over the next year. “He certainly has his hands on the finances and he knows the district, teachers, and he has good support administratively,” he said.
     Mr. Dupuis said he is looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead of him and hopes to continue the initiatives that Mr. Richards has started. “One of the things I enjoy about working here is that the community as a whole is very supportive of education,” he said. “They have proved that with their support of our educational budget and have put a lot into our facilities in terms of renovations and additions.”
     While the school committee has not laid out a time frame to choose a permanent replacement, Mr. Dupuis said he would be interested in being a candidate when they begin their search.