Brookline Names Ben Lummis Interim Superintendent Of Schools

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline has a new Interim Superintendent of Schools. A search committee has recommended Ben Lummis take the role after Superintendent Andrew Bott abruptly resigned last month. A search committee recommended Lummis unanimously. And Monday, the School Committee voted him into the position 9-0.

The preliminary screening committee met five times between July 22 and Aug. 19. Members of the committee include Suzanne Federspiel, Jennifer Monopoli, David Pearlman and Helen Charlupski. Lisa Richardson, Director of Human Resources, and Lesley Ryan Miller, Pierce School principal, participated as advisors to the committee.

The town posted the position Wednesday, July 31 with an August 7 application deadline.

The Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Nicole Gittens was named acting superintendent while the committee interviewed interim superintendent candidates.

Over the course of four weeks the committee recruited total of "more than 20" possible candidates and six people applied for the position.

They sought recommendations from those who declined to be considered for the position, contacted the executive directors of both the Massachusetts Association of School Committees and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents about prospective candidates, according to the district. They also contacted members of the Boston College, Boston University and Harvard University graduate schools of education for suggestions on possible candidates.

The search team said they also received suggestions from the community - all of which they followed up on.

"This is an extremely challenging time of year to hire anyone in the field of education. We had six applications, of which we invited three candidates to interview with us," said the district in a release.

For the past four years, Lummis has served the Brookline community as the Special Assistant to the Superintendent for Strategy and Performance.

"By working side by side with Superintendent Bott, and closely with all principals, teachers and administrators, and with the School Committee, Select Board, Town Boards and Commissions, Town departments, PTO leaders, and community members, Mr. Lummis has the relationships needed to successfully lead the district through the 2019-2020 school year," reads a statement.

Lummis started as a middle school English teacher in Needham and Cambridge, has coached principals, supported schools and teacher teams in redesigning their schools to create a more well-rounded school day that included arts, enrichment, physical activity and more hands on learning, worked with union and state educational leaders, and led international professional development for teachers and administrators to learn about the education systems in Finland, China, England.

Lummis also served as a Cambridge School Committee member in the early 2000s. Lummis earned his BA from the University of Michigan and his Masters in Teaching from Tufts University.

"The committee was impressed by his dedication to finding collaborative solutions and commitment to engaging the community in resolving issues," according to a release.

Because this is the first time Lummis has been a superintendent, they recommend hiring a retired superintendent to serve as a coach and mentor to him over school year.

The process for finding a permanent superintendent is slated to begin after the start of the school year.

The announcement in July that Bott was stepping down came as a surprise to many. He left Brookline as the district is working on negotiating contentious teacher contracts, finding enough space to accommodate rising enrollment after the town voted down a plan to build a ninth elementary, and a renovation of the high school.

In a letter to the school committee Bott said his work over the past few years had come at "great personal cost" to him and his family.

Bott’s final day with the school district was Friday, August 9.

RELATED:

• Brookline Public Schools Superintendent Andrew Bott Resigns
• Who Will Be Brookline's Next Superintendent?
• Brookline Schools Superintendent Andrew Bott Takes Job In Boston
• Nicole Gittens Named Acting Superintendent of Brookline Schools

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).