Lawrence Public School Superintendent Resignation

Dear Lawrence Public Schools community,

 

I am writing with bittersweet emotions to share that I will be transitioning from my role as Superintendent, effective January 13, 2023. While this was a difficult decision, made only after deep consideration in partnership with family and colleagues, I write to you today fully confident that the time is right.

I am incredibly proud of our collective work leading Lawrence Public Schools through perhaps the most challenging times in our modern history.

When I arrived over four years ago, we immediately began the process of strengthening systems and structures that made it possible to achieve our goals, including becoming a restorative justice district.  In the face of the gas crisis, and later the pandemic, we committed to greater-than-ever levels of both social-emotional and academic support for students, and doubled down on advancing student achievement, wellness and opportunity in meaningful, lasting ways.

Together, as community leaders, partners, and families, we have:

• Provided equitable, standards-aligned curricula and instruction for all students
• Expanded the continuum of academic, social-emotional, and mental health supports, particularly for at-risk students
• Deepened efforts to recruit, train and retain culturally responsive, highly effective teaching and professional staff, including in district leadership and central office
• Expanded the ways LPS engages with families and students

 

It is impossible to adequately express my appreciation to families and staff for the support you have provided during my superintendency. I am deeply grateful also to our central office team and the many principals who have worked tirelessly on behalf of our community, always making the most difficult of decisions with students’ best interests in mind.

Initial steps of the district leadership transition are shared in my joint statement with the Lawrence Alliance for Education, and I will work with both the LAE and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to ensure it is a successful one. I know the current leadership team and LPS staff are committed to continuing our work, and our collective efforts have placed LPS in the best possible position for further success.

The opportunity to learn and work alongside so many talented and dedicated people is one I will forever remember fondly. Serving all of you, the City of Lawrence and Lawrence Public Schools has been the honor of a lifetime.

 

Cynthia Paris

Superintendent of Schools

 

 

Joint Statement from the Lawrence Alliance for Education and Superintendent Cynthia Paris

LAWRENCE, Mass. – The Lawrence Alliance for Education, Inc. (LAE) and Superintendent Cynthia Paris jointly announced that Superintendent Paris will transition out of her role as of January 13, 2023, after more than four years in the role.

LAE Chair Patricia Mariano thanked Superintendent Paris for her leadership on behalf of the Lawrence Public Schools community, noting that Paris’ tenure began with the gas explosions that rocked the Merrimack Valley in 2018 and continued through the worst years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chair Mariano stated: “We are grateful to Superintendent Paris for her hard work and determination in meeting the extraordinary challenges of the past few years and we wish her well in her future endeavors.”

Superintendent Paris thanked the students, parents, teachers, staff and everyone else invested in the success of the Lawrence Public Schools: “It has been a privilege working in this vibrant community, helping our students thrive in the classroom and build a lifetime of opportunity.”

The LAE unanimously appointed Juan Rodriguez as the Interim Superintendent, pending a signed contract.  Mr. Rodriguez is currently the Chief Partnership Officer for LPS and previously served as a principal at Lawrence High School and Arlington Middle School. A full superintendent search will commence in the coming months.