[R]UTLAND — Longtime Rutland Schools Superintendent Mary Moran said her passion for education and the outdoors made Vermont a perfect location for a high school administrator from Massachusetts to live and build on a career.
And after more than two decades working for the Rutland City school system, most of that time as the district’s top leader, the Boston native says she’s retiring next June.
Moran, 69, is quick to point out, though, that she isn’t leaving the area, and will remain a Rutland resident.
She said she plans to travel, spend more time with family, enjoy the outdoors, and continue to be involved in the community.
And then she added, “One of my dreams is to hike the Rockies in the fall.”
Moran announced her plans to retire this week at a city School Board meeting.
“I think it’s a good time for me and it’s a good time for the organization,” she said. “I think we’re well-positioned here for the next chapter.”
She said she made her decision public now to allow the School Board plenty of time to begin the process to find a replacement.
Moran praised the “professionalism” of the School Board members she has worked with during her tenure and was thankful for voter support of budgets and bond proposals that have provided important upgrades to school facilities over the years.
Dick Courcelle, city School Board president, called Moran a “caring and compassionate” leader.
“Mary has been an exceptional educational and administrative leader for Rutland City Public Schools,” he said Friday. “I have been very fortunate as board president these past few years to witness the work that she does that many people are not aware of.”
He added, “She really exemplifies the best of what a good superintendent brings to a school district.”
Prior to moving to Rutland, Moran taught English and history in Massachusetts public schools, coached high school tennis and volleyball there, and served as both an assistant principal and then principal of high schools in the Bay State.
But, she said, she began to set her sights north.
“I hiked and skied a lot in New Hampshire and Vermont and at some point knew I wanted to move up to the country,” Moran said.
Moran sought and received needed licenses in both states.
Then, she saw an opening for the assistant superintendent position in Rutland. “It’s the only job I applied for, and I got it,” she said.
That was 1996, and she served as the district’s assistant superintendent into 2000 when then-Superintendent David Wolk was named state education commissioner. Moran was then appointed city schools superintendent, a position she has held ever since.
She said one of the advantages of the position in Rutland is that it’s a single district overseen by just one school board. That allows her to spend less time at board meetings and more time going into the schools and interacting with staff, teachers, administrators and students.
“I get to know the kids,” Moran added. “I’ve known the kids graduating this year since they were born. It’s been such a joy to see the kids grow up.”
She talked of changes she has seen over the years, from the expanded services schools now provided, to advancements in technology.
“The personalizing of learning and empowering kids to take greater charge of their learning, I think that’s something that we’re really focused on,” Moran added. “Even the littles we’re doing that with.”
One of her greatest current concerns, she said, is dealing with the impact of actions and decisions made outside of the state.
“My biggest worry and challenge now is what’s happening at the federal level,” she said. “In my opinion, the current lack of commitment to public education at the federal level is extremely concerning to me.”
She said a big passion for her is developing school leaders. Moran points to an initiative in Rutland that has resulted in many of the current principals and administrators in the local schools as well as other ones nearby coming from positions within the Rutland school system.
“I think leadership matters,” she said.
Courcelle, the School Board president, said Friday the search will begin soon for the next school leader in Rutland.
“The selection of a superintendent is the most important thing a school board does,” he said. “The process to select the next individual needs to be a very thoughtful and planned one.”
The plan, he said, is to establish a search committee, which will include some School Board members, faculty, administrators and parents of students.
Ultimately, that panel will make a recommendation for the School Board to consider, Courcelle said.
“It will be a very deliberative process,” he added. “It’s a process followed by most school boards and districts.”
Rutland City Mayor David Allaire at a meeting this week of Project Vision, a coalition or community organizations and agencies, brought up Moran’s recent announcement.
“One of our stellar community members, our superintendent of schools, is retiring,” the mayor said. “I want to publicly acknowledge the tremendous service she brought to the city school system.”
Following a round of applause, Moran reminded the crowd that she still planned to stay a Rutland resident.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she told them. “I’ll still be here.”