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Three finalists outline priorities during Harvard superintendent interviews
Summary
At the Nov. 24 meeting the School Committee interviewed three finalists — Dr. John Harrington, Dr. Julie Riley and Mr. Dana Labb — who emphasized student belonging, fiscal management strategies, operations experience, and varied approaches to technology and cell phone policies.
The Harvard School Committee interviewed three finalists for superintendent on Nov. 24, 2025, giving each candidate the same set of questions about alignment with district values, budgeting and operations, student belonging, use of technology and priorities for the first 100 days.
Dr. John Harrington, High School Principal from Littleton Public Schools, emphasized a "kid-centered" approach, described himself as a curriculum communicator and highlighted mentoring leaders. He cited experience with zero-based budgeting, collaboration with municipal finance committees, and managing a Massachusetts School Building Authority project valued at $7 million. He described Student Advisory Groups and "We Belong" activities designed to foster inclusion and supported age-based cell-phone prohibitions to reduce distractions.
Dr. Julie Riley, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning in Andover, said her leadership aligns with the district’s core values and Andover’s "Vision of a Graduate." She described using grant writing and zero-based budgeting to address fiscal gaps and expressed interest in collaborating with other districts on a coherent home-base technology philosophy; she affirmed support for a high-school-level prohibition on cell phones.
Mr. Dana Labb, Assistant Superintendent with Harvard Public Schools, emphasized a shared vision with the Harvard community and drew on experience as principal at Blanchard Elementary (about 500 students). He proposed an inclusive school calendar that recognizes global and local events, argued that the "ethical use of AI must be a core value" in district policy, and listed increasing supports for marginalized students among his early priorities.
Committee members then deliberated and later voted to appoint Mr. Labb as superintendent effective July 1, 2026. The committee also scheduled public forums to introduce the new superintendent to the community.
