Superintendent Search
New Superintendent Appointed
The School Committee voted unanimously on Tuesday, February 7th to enter into negotiations to hire Dr. Parry Graham as our next Superintendent of Schools. A brief summary of Dr. Graham's background is below. We will send a more detailed introduction in the coming weeks after contract negotiations are finalized.
The School Committee would like to thank all of the candidates who participated in this process, as they are all incredible leaders in education. We would also like to thank all members of the LPS community who participated in this process, the feedback we received was helpful not only in making our decision tonight, but will help guide our priorities.
We look forward to welcoming Dr. Graham into the LPS community in the coming months.
Dr. Frank (Parry) Graham currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent of the Wayland Public Schools. Prior to joining Wayland in 2018, he was Nashoba Regional High School Principal in Bolton, MA for five years, and Lufkin Road Middle School Principal in Wake County, NC for four years. Dr. Graham taught German at North Andover (MA) High School. He earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), a Master of Arts in Teaching from Tufts University and a Bachelor of Arts from Williams College, Williamstown MA.
Announcement of Vacancy - Superintendent of Schools
2023/2024 School Year
The Lincoln Public Schools is actively seeking experienced, qualified candidates for the position of Superintendent of Schools, effective July 1, 2023. The Lincoln School Committee has engaged the Collins Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts Boston to assist the district with this search process. The new educational leader will replace a retiring superintendent who has served the community for the past 11 years.
Finalists Announced
Finalists Selected - Meet the Candidates
On January 12, the Lincoln School Committee accepted the recommendation of the Superintendent Search Subcommittee to advance four candidates in the search process. Each candidate will be visiting the district between January 19th and January 26th (see below for the full schedule).
We have scheduled a forum for all LPS parents and community members at 6:00 pm in the Lincoln Auditorium on each visit day. Those unable to attend the forums in person can watch live via Zoom.
During this forum, the finalists will introduce themselves, provide a brief statement of their interest in the position, then engage in a conversation with those present. This time is not to be an interview, but rather an exchange of questions and ideas. While we may ask the finalist questions, the finalist may wish to ask those present questions as well. If you are unable to attend in person, you can submit a question for the moderator to ask, if there is time available. To submit a question, please use the following LINK.
After interacting with each finalist, we hope you will complete the Feedback Form for each finalist you meet. The links to the Form will be available at the time of the forum. All feedback will be shared with the School Committee to help inform their ultimate decision on the next Superintendent.
Finalist Candidates and Resumes
Finalist Day - Monday 1/23, 6-7pm
Finalist Day - Tuesday 1/24, 6-7pm
Finalist Day - Thursday 1/19, 6-7pm
Finalist Day - Thursday 1/26, 6-7pm
Search Process Information
Prepared by Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management
Compiled from community input gathered through 8 focus groups, an online survey, and stakeholder meetings
LPS School Committee 10-03-2022School Committee Search Process Orientation, October 3, 2022
What is the role of a Superintendent of Schools?
This is a brief and broad overview of the role of a school superintendent. It is not a job description, nor is it a complete list of duties and responsibilities.
Translations: Chinese (Simplified) | Korean | Russian | Spanish
A superintendent is the educational leader (i.e. chief executive) of a school district. The superintendent is hired by the school committee to create and execute a shared vision for their district.
Superintendent positions have an intense workload, often working long hours to get the job done. In general, superintendents can expect to perform all of the following tasks and more year-round:
Establish and oversee organizational goals and procedures
Hire and supervise district office staff and principals
Establish a shared vision with specific goals to improve student academic progress and sense of belonging
Define and meet key performance metrics
Act as the school committee’s educational advisor, and implement policies adopted by the school committee
Manage operations of the district
Plan and adhere to budgets and financial plans
While the activities listed above are important parts of the job, communication is perhaps the most essential. Good superintendents are liaisons who effectively communicate important information and facilitate conversations with a variety of stakeholders, including:
Students and their families
Teachers, principals and educational staff
Operations and administration staff
Press and media
School committee
Community organizations
Government agencies
Unions
The role of a superintendent is broad, and involves many difficult decisions. It takes an exceptional person with a unique skill set to be an effective school superintendent.
If you have any questions about the superintendent search process, please don't hesitate to reach out to John.Brackett@umb.edu or schoolcomm@lincnet.org.