Schools

Reed Will Take Over Superintendent Duties May 6

Superintendent Janet Robinson will begin a vacation effective May 6 extending to her last day on June 28.

 

Interim Superintendent John Reed will be assuming all his temporary duties as leader of the Newtown school district before July, following a vote at a Tuesday night Board of Education meeting.

Board members unanimously voted to allow Superintendent Janet Robinson to begin using vacation time from May 6 to her final day on June 28, at which point Reed will assume all superintendent duties.

Find out what's happening in Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The board voted to pass the following resolution:

"Move that the board shall enter into an amendment of the superintendent's contract stating the following: The Superintendent will begin vacation effective May 6 through June 28 and will be paid out for 21 days of unused vacation time at the end of her employment. Dr. John Reed will be the acting superintendent and take over all roles and responsibilities of the Superintendent from May 6 through June 28."

Find out what's happening in Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Robinson announced she would be leaving for Stratford in February, the culmination of a selection process that predated the Dec. 14 shooting. She has led the district since 2008.

Reed previously served as Newtown's superintendent for 20 years -- from 1982 to 2002 -- making him the longest tenured superintendent in Connecticut. After the shooting, he was praised for volunteering his time at Sandy Hook Elementary School's current location in Monroe.

"Given the tragic events of Dec. 14, the Board of Education thought it was highly desirable during this important time of transition that Newtown have an interim superintendent of schools who has a significant knowledge and understanding of our town and the Newtown school system," said board member Laura Roche when Reed's role was announced in March.

At that time, board members said Reed would assume some roles immediately and be involved in decision-making capabilities, including the hiring processes for new staff. Robinson's first day as Stratford's superintendent is July 1. Reed will serve as interim superintendent until a permanent hire takes the position.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here