Superintendent of schools Dr. Elliott Landon announced this morning that he will retire at the end of the 2015-16 school year. First Selectman Jim Marpe praised the longtime educator:
I have had the honor and privilege of working alongside Dr. Landon for a number of years, including my 8-year tenure as a member and chair of the Board of Education. Since taking office as first selectman, he and I have remained steadfast in our commitment to collaborating and forging a positive relationship with the town and Board of Education. I look forward to continuing this precedent during the remainder of Dr. Landon’s tenure and with his successor.
Dr. Elliott Landon (right) with First Selectman (and former Board of Education chair) Jim Marpe.
On behalf of the Town of Westport, and as its First Selectman, I wish to congratulate and thank Dr. Landon for his dedication to the Town, its schools and most particularly, the multitude of children for whom he advocated. Through his 16-year career as Westport’s superintendent, he consistently raised the bar of excellence and has made the schools in Westport some of the most successful in the country.
His expertise and advocacy for our school system is laudable. Due to Dr. Landon’s leadership, Westport’s education system has provided and will continue to provide the necessary tools for the next generations to achieve personal growth and success for years to come. I wish Dr. Landon much health and happiness as he prepares for retirement.
Meanwhile, the Westport Board of Education released this statement:
We would like to thank Dr. Landon for leading our schools to tremendous heights during his 16-year tenure. Westport is widely regarded as one of the top school districts in the state and in the nation, and Dr. Landon has been integral to our collective success.
Now, for the first time in 17 years, the Westport Board of Education will commence a search for a new superintendent, who will begin serving upon Dr. Landon’s retirement. The Board is prepared for a thoughtful and thorough search process. We will take the time necessary to find the right candidate to meet the needs of our students for the next generation.
We will conduct a nationwide search, and we will engage a search firm with a national scope that has worked with high-performing districts such as ours. We have exceptionally high standards for the leader we will appoint, and we plan to involve the community throughout the process. The Board will reach out to all of our stakeholders, including parents, teachers, administrators, staff members, students and the broader community for their input on the qualities they seek in a new superintendent.
We will make regular announcements about both our process and our progress, and we welcome your input at all points, starting today. The seven of us can be reached at a single email address: boe@westport.k12.ct.us.
In addition to thanking Dr. Landon, we want to thank all of the outstanding teachers, administrators and staff members who work on behalf of Westport’s children each day. Our schools are thriving because of all of their professionalism, collaboration and dedication to our students.
We very much appreciate all that Dr. Landon has done for our District and all he will continue to do for the next 13 months. We look forward to the community’s participation as we search for his successor.