LYNN — Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick Tutwiler, with just weeks remaining in his tenure, reflected on the impact he’s had on Lynn’s public school system — saying he was particularly proud of the role he played in diversifying the school system and amplifying student voices, noting that he believes students should be the key to any and all decisions made about the district.
At a School Committee meeting last week Tutwiler announced his resignation, effective August 12, ending his four-year career as Lynn superintendent. Tutwiler, in his first year of a five-year contract, will become the Barr Foundation’s senior program officer with a start date of August 29, and will continue his roles as a board member of the Boys & Girls’ Club and the Lynn Rotary Club.
In an interview with the Item Tuesday, he said that he chose to take a step back from the role of superintendent because he needed a break from the stress associated with the position.
“For so many months, I’ve been struggling as an individual — with stress, with some health concerns, but I’ve put on such a strong face around ‘everything’s going to be okay, we got this,’ when I myself was struggling,” Tutwiler said. “What an individual has to summon in order to put on that leadership persona is a lot, and it was beginning to take a toll. I had to make a decision, hard as it was, because I love these guys, I love this community, but my first priority is my family. I had to do something dramatic and quickly to honor that first priority.”
With just six weeks to go in his tenure, Tutwiler and his colleagues reflected on his career as an educational leader.
Deputy Superintendent of Schools Kimberlee Powers described Tutwiler as an agent of change and a role model.
“Patrick Tutwiler is a beloved leader. There is a collective and overwhelming sadness with his announcement to leave. He has touched so many in our community. He is truly a transformational leader, a role model, a change-agent, and a reason for wanting to be part of the LPS family,” Powers said.
Tutwiler’s support for the development of Inclusivity Panels showcases his equity and the student voice, she said.
“Most recently in our equity work, he supported the development of Inclusivity Panels where student voices became front and center,” Powers said.
School Committee member Tiffany Magnolia praised Tutwiler’s role in expanding diversity and equity through his work with English language learners and his commitment to diversifying staff.
“One of the most important steps in that was looking specifically at how we approach ELLs, English Language Learners, and the fact that our ELL population has exploded since then means that the comprehensive plan was extremely well timed,” Magnolia said. “Part of this process was to look at all the parts of LPS through an equity lens, which is the second part of why I think he left the district in a better place.”
When asked about his role as an agent of change, Tutwiler demurred, saying only that he created the conditions in which the diversity of the school system could flourish.
“There isn’t one individual thing that has happened in the last four years that I will take credit for, except creating the conditions for lots of wonderful things to happen,” Tutwiler said.
Tutwiler said the superintendent should focus on relationships — not just with parents and students, but also with the community and staff members.
“The job of the superintendent is to make clear what the priority is: students, partnerships with families, to be a facilitator and thought partner around what the path forward looks like, to elevate the voices of the community and of the staff, and then to get out of the way and let these things happen, let those voices raise supreme,” he said. “Let the ingenuity, the innovation, the dedication of the staff, reign supreme. That’s how I orient myself as a leader, and that’s the one thing I’ll take credit for.”
Lynn English rising sophomore Jadyn Aguiar, 15, and Lynn Classical student Josh Palma, 15, Tutwiler’s student interns, said they enjoyed working for him.
“Working with Dr. Tutwiler is really fun. He’s like the coolest dude ever, and he’s really in-touch with the youth. He cares about what we think as a whole. He doesn’t just do what he feels like,” Aguiar said.
Aguiar said that he’s disappointed to see Tutwiler leave office.
“Him leaving, for me, I’m a little bummed out. That’s my guy,” Aguiar said. “I’m happy for him. He left a huge impact, a huge one. If I didn’t work with him, I would have went down a path that I shouldn’t have. He really took me off that path.”
On July 7, The School Committee will hold a meeting to discuss the process for choosing an interim superintendent of schools. Magnolia said that Tutwiler left Lynn Public Schools in such good condition that finding a replacement should not be difficult.
“Tutwiler has left our district in such a good place that I don’t think it will be difficult to find a candidate who wants to come to us. That is a credit to him and the effort that he has done to this district. We are both heartbroken to lose him, but he has given us an opportunity to continue with this vision,” Magnolia said.
Tutwiler said that he would like his replacement to share his philosophy on education leadership: serve students, families, and teachers equally, but in that order.
“It is my sincere hope that whoever the next superintendent is, they should continue the voices of the community. Either furthering that work, or deciding what appropriate shifts or turns have to happen,” Tutwiler said. “It is my sincere hope that it is another kid superintendent. Not a child who is a superintendent, but a superintendent who puts students at the core of every decision, every initiative, everything that’s done in this district.”
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at [email protected].