Addison Northwest Superintendent Earns State Recognition
By Cookie Steponaitis
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When Tom O’Brien entered education in the fall of 1970 he brought with him the “teamwork” ethics he had learned from playing basketball since he was five years old. While his career has included being a high school English teacher, a guidance counselor, a Dean of Students and a Superintendent in three different states, it has always been based on a commitment to excellence and providing the best educational experience for the youth under his charge.
Recently named the Vermont Administrator of the Year for 2009 by the Vermont Association of Educational Office Professionals (VAEOP), O’Brien has been at the helm of ANWSU since 2002, after serving for nine years as the Superintendent of the Windsor Northwest District. When asked about the biggest differences in leading districts in Vermont as opposed to other states, he jokingly replied, “This is the first state without water all around me,” but went on to add, “Vermont’s construct for supervisory unions is the most intriguing. In Vermont they are formed by geographic parameters rather than educational ones.”
His students are his favorite topic and when discussing them, Superintendent O’Brien is quick to mention the dedication of the professionals in his district and the support of the communities that send students here. While he knows that, “You can always expect change to occur and we face tough choices around funding,” he takes great joy in watching students in classes, on the field, the stages and in the community learning and growing. He recently attended a tree planting ceremony at Addison Elementary School where VUHS seniors returned to their elementary schools for two days of community work and seeing the reflection and excitement of the near graduates and the rapt attention paid to them by the younger students was a powerful testimonial to the layers of connections within the district and the learning process.
While in just a few days Superintendent O’Brien will help pass out diplomas as the Class of 2009 crosses the VUHS stage for the last time, his thoughts are already focusing on the years ahead and the challenges yet to come, as the futures of nearly 1300 students in his district are on the horizon. The Valley Voice salutes his achievements and all those who work with children to become the very best they can be.