BURLINGTON — Thomas Flanagan, the chief academic officer of the Providence Public School District, will be the next superintendent of the Burlington School District after a unanimous vote of the school board Thursday evening.
Flanagan will replace Yaw Obeng, who announced last fall that he would be leaving the position at the end of this academic year. Obeng was hired in 2015 and said in November he thought the time was right to explore “other personal and professional opportunities.”
Flanagan has worked as a teacher and administrator in Rhode Island and Washington, D.C., where he was the deputy chief of specialized instruction.
During a forum last week at Burlington High School, Flanagan highlighted his work to integrate students with disabilities into general education classrooms and work to involve students from marginalized communities in the district planning processes.
Flanagan’s first day will be July 1, and he and the board agreed to a two-year contract. Flanagan will make $170,000 a year, slightly more than the $168,000 Obeng is making this year.
School commissioner Martine Gullick said it was well known in education circles that there was a shortage of superintendents in the country.
“We felt that if we wanted to attract an excellent superintendent, which of course we did, that we had to compensate them in a way that would be attractive,” she said.
School Board Chair Clare Wool said the board was thrilled to hire Flanagan after a nationwide search. She said Flanagan was committed to equitable teaching practices and was an experienced administrator.
“He brings years of experience leading curriculum efforts and has significant expertise in teaching and special education,” Wool said.
Gullick said that Flanagan’s experience working in Providence, a district with socio-economic and cultural diversity, was a draw, as was his experience working in special education.
“He also was a teacher in D.C. schools for quite some time, and that was very appealing, to have someone who actually taught and was in the classroom,” she said. “And again, in a city that is extremely diverse, that is a dynamic community and a dynamic school system.”
Commissioner Jean Waltz said Flangan’s experience with a renovation project that faced obstacles and experience with Department of Justice settlements were additional draws.
While Burlington voters approved a $70 million bond to renovate Burlington High School, the district is working on cost-reduction strategies after initial plans came in over budget.
Burlington reached a settlement with the Department of Justice last year after the DOJ investigated “a complaint from a group of parents that alleging that their children had been subject to severe and pervasive sex-based harassment, including assault, that went unaddressed by the District.”
The Providence Public School District reached a settlement agreement with the DOJ after an investigation into the district’s services for English learner students.
The state of Rhode Island took the drastic step of seizing control of the city’s public schools last fall. A Johns Hopkins report into the district said there was “little visible student learning” happening in classrooms, teachers were demoralized and school buildings were in poor physical condition.
Wool said that Flanagan was “thrilled” to move to Burlington with his wife and three children, and he committed to living in the city.
“We heard that loud and clear throughout our community forums, that many of the stakeholders were very interested in that commitment,” she said.
Obeng faced questions from city councilors over his decision to live in South Burlington.
The other two finalists for the position were Peter Burrows, the superintendent of the Addison Central School District, and Erin Maguire, the director of equity, diversity and inclusion for the Essex Westford School District.
The district hired McPherson & Jacobson LLC, Executive Recruitment and Development for the search and received 24 applications for the position.
