Town officials on Tuesday roundly praised the work and accomplishments of New Canaan Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Mary Kolek in the wake of an unexpected announcement that the longtime educator would retire at the end of this academic year.
While First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said he personally was saddened by the news and that it’s difficult to measure the full impact that Kolek has had on the district, Board of Ed Chair Hazel Hobbs called her a “leader, visionary and motivator.”
Kolek, who has been working in New Canaan’s school system for a full decade, the last two as superintendent, told NewCanaanite.com in an interview that she has forged deep bonds with teachers, parents and town officials who share two major priorities: children and learning.
Dr. Mary Kolek, Superintendent of New Canaan Public Schools. Credit: Michael Dinan
“The bond has to do with the fact that this community cares so deeply about their children, no matter whether it’s a parent or a grandparent or the people that own the stores in town or the town bodies—that’s a shared value,” Kolek said.
“People have a deep respect for education and educators, and as an educator I appreciate that,” she added. “It’s easy to connect through those shared values, and we’ve done a lot of work together.”
With the town’s support, Kolek said, important programs were introduced, including full-day kindergarten, World Languages and an evolution of the curriculum.
Among the major accomplishments that the district has achieved while she served as superintendent, Kolek counts the introduction of “next-generation organization under our finance and operations.”
In addition to updating policy and procedures—work for which Kolek is quick to credit the district’s staff and central office—working hard to communicate and stay in sync with municipal officials has been key.
“We all have a different role and that’s important—we all have a different role and sense of responsibilities, but there’s a synergy,” Kolek said. “We have really tried to move beyond just cooperation—to collaboration and synergistic work together, where it all blends. I’m really proud of that. There have been some updates that we’ve done that were just not necessarily glamorous but really will serve the town well the next few years.”
Asked what piece of advice she would offer her successor, Kolek said she’d pass along what her predecessor, Dr. David Abbey told her: Appreciate that we’re all in this together and allow the work to be shared work.
“People really do want to work collaboratively, and understanding that that’s a value that people have here, it’s something that you have to appreciate about this community,” she said.
“They will do anything if they believe it is on behalf of their children,” she added. “David Abbey gave me that advice and I think it was good advice, and I have tried to follow it. Make sure you share the work with the people around you. It’s respectful to them and there are better ideas if you work together.”
What’s next for Kolek? Spending more time with her family.
“My family is in North Carolina, so the purpose of going there really is to reconnect with family,” she told NewCanaanite.com.
“We have looked at an area with a number of universities, so learning is always going to be a part of my life whether I’m a student or working through a university. I’m looking foward to having some time to do that and hopefully keep growing in that area. But mostly it’s to be with family.”