Dr. Kolek named superintendent of NCPS

Kate Howard & Lily Kazemi
News Editors

 On Mar. 19, after a national search, Chair of the New Canaan Board of Education Hazel Hobbs announced the unanimous selection of Dr. Mary Kolek as the new superintendent of the New Canaan Public Schools (NCPS). Effective July 1, Dr. Kolek will be the first female superintendent for this district.

After great consideration, Dr. Kolek said that she decided to apply for superintendent because she wants to challenge herself, as well as establish a relationship with those in the communiity. “I really thought long and hard about applying for the job for two reasons,” she said. “One, I really love what I do. The domain that I’m in is teaching and learning, so it really puts me in contact with teachers and coordinators and on occasion students and so that in a sense has been a luxury. I had to think about if this is a role that I really want to transition to, a role that is a little different. I wanted to find an opportunity to grow, use my skills and challenge myself a little bit, and I thought that this would do that. It’s a terrific district, I love the people I work with.”

Prior to assuming the new position, Dr. Kolek has served as Deputy Superintendent since 2004 and has become familiar with its responsibilities. She feels confident that she will be prepared for the transition in July. “The other thing I would say is that Dr. Abbey has been an incredible mentor, so I feel very fortunate coming into a place where I know we have such a strong base of both ethics and commitment to students,” she said. “I know a lot of the role already because we partner in the central office, so many of the things required I’m already working on in some capacity. Those areas that I don’t have as much direct contact with, because we’re in the same office as Dr. Abbey himself, a lot of that we’ve already talked about by sitting in on some of his meetings so that over the course of the next couple of months I’ll be ready for the job.”

Having worked in the district for the past eight years, Dr. Kolek stressed her considerable knowledge of the NCPS. “I have a very good sense of the community, the schools and the culture and the values, and where our strengths are,” she said. “I also think it’s pretty validating for people to know me going into it especially since we have so many initiatives that we’re working on.”

Dr. Kolek has been a driving force in many of New Canaan’s Exemplary programs such as Foreign Language in Elementary Schools, expanded use of technology and all day kindergarten. With her collaborations on these projects, Dr. Kolek believes she has a solid base for improvement.  “You are always learning a new job, even if you think you know it intimately, but some of the other things I know pretty well, so I think it gives me a pretty strong foundation to work on,” she said.

According to Dr. Kolek, it is important that students are essential to everything she does as an educator. “The students’ perspective is very important to me. I used to be a high school principal, and I really miss that public end of it. I really miss being with students,” she said. “I go to events, but it’s not the same, so as superintendent I’ll get a bigger hold on that.”

 

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