SCARBOROUGH – Below is the letter that Scarborough Superintendent of Schools George Entwistle shared with the school board on Thursday. He is retiring and will be leaving the school system on June 30, 2016. For more on this story see the Dec. 10 issue of the Current:
December 2, 2015
Dear Chair Beeley and Members of the Scarborough Board of Education, It is with some mixed emotions that I advise you, in writing, today what I told Mrs. Beeley yesterday (and what she subsequently shared with you), which is that it is my intent to retire from Scarborough Public Schools and from public K-12 education effective at the end of the 2015-2016 school year.
As of the end of June 2016, I will have proudly served as Scarborough’s Superintendent of Schools for the last 5 years. During this time, I have had the privilege of working with a fine staff of educators and educational leaders – teachers, leaders, and support staff that are worthy of the highest levels of community pride and positive, professional regard.
My retirement announcement at this time is my deliberate effort to support the Board of Education in getting the very earliest start that they can get in finding the next Superintendent for the Scarborough Schools.
A forward momentum of continuous improvement has been underway over these past 5 years…and we are seeing our students and staff grow and develop in extraordinary ways!
For those who believe that merely adequate or status quo efforts on behalf of Scarborough students are “good enough,” it is important to know that the community’s educators, our 3,000+ students, their parents and grandparents, and their future colleges and employers just do not agree. Simply “good enough” is not the return-on-investment that these stakeholders will accept.
It is my belief that this Superintendent opportunity in Scarborough, Maine will attract a strong and capable leader who can continue and advance the important work of rebuilding the Scarborough Schools so that over the next 5 years, they will take their rightful place as one of the top performing public schools in New England.
I will contribute to, and support that selection process in whatever ways the Board may request my assistance.
I want to thank the Board of Education and all of my colleagues for their support, encouragement, good humor, and respect. My wife Nancy (a 20+ year public school professional) and I are ready and excited to move on to new pursuits and for our family, June of 2016 is the perfect time for our next adventure to begin.
With gratitude and best regards,
George H. Entwistle
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