Interim Principal Named for Wayland High

Superintendent Paul Stein announced Monday evening that an interim principal has been tapped to serve at Wayland High School following the departure in early July of then-principal Pat Tutwiler.

Dr. John Ritchie, most recently interim principal of Brookline High School, will fill the position at WHS for the 2013-14 school year.

"The role of interim principal has its unique challenges; in addition to experience, it requires an ability to engage a school community in a very short period of time," Stein's announcement reads. "During the 2011 – 2012 school year, Dr. Ritchie served as the interim principal of Brookline High School with great success."

Prior to his time as interim at Brookline High, Ritchie worked for 13 years as the superintendent/principal of Lincoln-Sudbury High School. He also has seven years as principal of Winchester High School. Early in his career, Ritchie worked as housemaster and English teacher at Brookline High.
He holds degrees from Dartmouth University and his Master's and Ph.D work was completed at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In May 2013, Ritchie published the article "The Effective and Reflective Principal" in the education journal, Kappan.

In the coming weeks, Stein announced, parents, students and community members will have opportunities to greet Ritchie. Then, in the fall, a full search committee will be convened to find a permanent principal for WHS.

"Wayland is fortunate to have such an accomplished educator step in for departing Principal Pat Tutwiler," Stein wrote. "Dr. Tutwiler was without question an outstanding principal who gave his all to Wayland.  Beyond Dr. Ritchie’s credentials, what is most impressive about him is his know-how, his love of school communities, his fervent commitment to students, and his wise counsel. He is someone who is genuinely joyful working around students and staff, and he in turn, is a joy to work with. He is uniquely positioned to help Wayland High School through this year of transition while moving the school forward as part of a very skilled administrative team and faculty.