Mary Skipper says 'building trust' is priority as new Boston Public Schools Superintendent

BOSTON - Mary Skipper was introduced Thursday as the new superintendent of Boston Public Schools.

Skipper was chosen in a tight 4-to-3 vote by the Boston School Committee Wednesday night over Dr. Tommy Welch.

She has been the superintendent in Somerville for the last seven years. Prior to that, she was the Network Superintendent of High Schools for BPS, where she oversaw 34 high schools and 19,500 students.

Skipper was also the founding headmaster at Tech Boston Academy. She returned there Thursday morning for a roundtable discussion with students before she was formally introduced by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu as the city's new superintendent.

"Building trust with the community and families is my priority," she told reporters. 

"We need every Boston public school to be a place where students run into the building, that they are thrilled to be there," Skipper said. "Get ready, this is going to be fun, it's going to be a good ride but most importantly, this day forward students should always begin our conversation and should always end our conversation."

Skipper will take over for Dr. Brenda Cassellius who is leaving Thursday after serving three years.

The school committee vote came two days after the city, state and school district reached a deal to avoid a state takeover of Boston Public Schools.

The deciding vote was cast by committee chair Jeri Robinson.

"She's worked through the hard stuff. She's dealt with DESE, she's dealt with budgets, she's dealt with union contracts. She's been in many of the places people we need to work with, so she brings the real deal, and is not afraid to do the hard stuff," Robinson said Thursday.

"There's so much we do right now in this very difficult moment of challenge that's also an opportunity we must seize," Wu said.

"We don't have margin for error there. If buses don't work, if buildings aren't safe, and they're not clean, if materials and teachers don't have the training that they need for day one, those are all the things that help our staff and our community feel ready and trustworthy in the work that we do. So that's going to be the priority. It won't be shiny, and it won't be sexy, but it will be foundational and it will make a difference to students," Skipper said.

"We need it to be a place where our families trust what that we say we're going to do, we do, in a transparent, and even if the data isn't pretty, even if the data shows we're not yet at the place we need to be, we're at least honest about it and we can lay out and explain how we're going to get to where we need to be."

As Skipper makes the transition from Somerville to Boston, Dr. Drew Echelson has been appointed acting superintendent for the summer.