The new RSU/MSAD 40 Supt. Susan Pratt attended her first meeting of the district school board on Aug. 11.
“I’m settled in and ready to get to work,” Pratt told the board at that meeting. “I look forward to a great school year.”
At that meeting, the board also recognized outgoing Supt. Frank Boynton for his two years and two months of service to the district.
Pratt, whose first day was Aug. 8, said in a telephone interview on Aug. 15 that the first week was a “bit of a whirlwind.”
It’s unusual for a district to change superintendents so close to the start of the school year, but Pratt said at the start of her second week she “came in this morning, and I feel like I’ve been here for a while.”
Pratt said for the time being she’s focused on visiting and getting to know each school in the district – comprising Waldoboro, Warren, Washington, Friendship and Union – and familiarizing herself with the people with whom she’ll be working.
Pratt started her career in education as a high school math and computer programming teacher in Madison. She then became a stay-at-home mom for three years with her two children before taking a job as a middle level teacher at Strong Elementary for 11 years.
She served as a K-8 principal for a total of five years at Phillips and Kingfield elementary schools.
She moved to district administration as the assistant superintendent for MSAD 9 for seven years, and then became superintendent for RSU 36 for one year before that district consolidated and became RSU 73 earlier this year.
The consolidation put her back into an assistant superintendent position, which is “not what I wanted to do,” Pratt said, so she applied for the top spot at RSU/MSAD 40.
She and her husband of 33 years, Rupert Pratt, live on a farm in Strong, just north of Farmington. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.
Pratt will rent a home in the district. Although Pratt said, “after 33 years, it’s OK,” they plan to commute with each spending some time in both towns.
Pratt said she would be in district during the week and on some weekends. “Work is my life, and superintendent is a 24/7 position,” she said.
She said that as an administrator her focus is on teaching and learning. “All the other components are important, but my focus has always been students,” Pratt said.
She plans to put out newsletters informing parents of happenings within the district, but said she really wants to hear from parents with their questions and concerns. “I want to hear it,” she said. “I want to know what the issues are.”
Pratt may be reached by telephone at the RSU/MSAD 40 Central Administrative Office in Union at 785-2277, or by email at susan_pratt@msad40.org.
