SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – On Wednesday, March 26, the Springfield School District announced the appointment of Peter Burrows as superintendent, effective July 1, for a term of one year.
Burrows brings more than 30 years of experience in public education to the role, including 10 years as the superintendent of the Addison Central School District in Vermont, and the past 20 months as school superintendent for Milton Public Schools in Massachusetts. Burrows’ resume includes a term as president of the Vermont Superintendents Association.
On March 24, after touring the Springfield schools, the candidate sat for a public, online meet-and-greet. Burrows told those attending that he grew up in Connecticut, and attended college at the University of Oregon. Once he realized that “teaching was [his] passion,” Burrows spent some time teaching English as a second language in Japan, South Korea, and Mexico, until 2002, when he returned to Oregon and took a job as an English teacher.
Expressing a desire to be closer to East Coast family, Burrows moved with his wife Sonja and three children to Middlebury, Vt., where he accepted the role of superintendent. “The draw of Vermont is significant, and where we want to be,” Burrows commented.
Burrows said he is a collaborative leader, and feels developing relationships with parents, students, and the community is vital. As superintendent, Burrows said he would be putting a lot of his operational experience to use in creating short-term goals and long-term intentions for the school district. Burrows stated that his knowledge of the Vermont school system, and his ability to harness what he saw as the potential of the community in Springfield, were assets he would bring to the position.
The topics of student and teacher safety and security were raised, and Burrows remarked, “The term ‘culture’ came up a lot during the course of the day. [To build] a strong culture, it has to be safe, and students have to feel like they belong.” Part of the work to sustain a culture of inclusion would involve the superintendent going out into the community, and inviting the community into the schools. Improving communication was also something Burrows said he had heard mentioned throughout his day, and he said he intends to address that issue right away, first assessing what is currently working, and what is not.
“I am excited about what I heard from people today,” Burrows reflected as the meeting wrapped up. “The commitment [and excitement] that I heard from staff, community members, and parents…is a testament to the connection and caring and wanting to be a part of a vibrant school community.”
A statement issued by the Springfield School District reads, “Burrows’ focus on communication, relationship building, and student-centered programs align well with the hopes and needs expressed by the community for Springfield’s next superintendent.”
Previous candidates considered were Cheryl Gonzalez, who dropped out after accepting a position elsewhere, and Kerry Kennedy, former principal at Central Elementary School in Bellows Falls, who did not receive the school board’s recommendation.