The Press had a chance to pose some questions to Superintendent Thomas Jefferson this week, before the start of the new school year.

Press: What books were on your summer reading list?
Jefferson: One professional book I read which intrigued me greatly was A Whole New Mind, by Daniel Pink. It provides an interesting look at what our students will need as they prepare for global citizenship. I also read a biography of Thomas Jefferson by Christopher Hutchens and some travel books on Iceland. I’ve also begun Three Cups of Tea, which is a compelling story.

Press: As the new school year gets underway, is there anything in particular you’re looking forward to?
Jefferson: I’m always excited by the start of a new school year. This year should be particularly interesting because of the strategic plan getting underway. We’ve scheduled some exciting training sessions for teachers. I think we’ve begun to do some fascinating things with technology and I look forward to expanding that part of our work. I think we have an exceptional staff and faculty along with an extraordinary administrative team.

Press: As the schools work on implementing the strategic plan, what changes are we likely to see?
Jefferson: Over time we hope to integrate a stronger critical thinking strand across the curriculum. In addition, we’re continuing to address the challenge of meeting the needs of all learners. We’re also working on ways to maintain and strengthen communication and accountability.

Press: Harvard recently won a three-year contract to educate Devens students starting in 2009. What does the school district have to do to prepare for this?
Jefferson: The School Committee has formed a task force to explore potential uses for the facility previously known as the Shirley School at Devens. As part of the contract we have access to that facility for a dollar per year rental fee if the town so wishes.
We’ll also be updating our enrollment numbers as we move into the budget cycle for next year. We’re not anticipating in the early years that there will be a large number of students coming over from Devens.

Press: What’s the status of the discussion around possible new start times at school?
Jefferson: We kept the survey link open until the end of school last year to give all students an opportunity to respond. The committee will be meeting in the next few weeks to review the data and form a recommendation. There were many people excited about changing times and many who felt strongly about the current schedule.

Press: Is there anything about you that people in town don’t know, that you’d like them to know?
Jefferson: I grew up in Minnesota, which makes me one of only a few people who can claim they moved to New England for the warm weather. I attended Macalester College in St. Paul (now famous because of the Republican National Convention). I started my career as a fourth-grade teacher after working with disadvantaged high school students in a part-time job I held during college. I feel I’ve been fortunate to have a career in education where I’ve always been able to help children reach their potential. I currently live in Leominster with my wife Sandra and my son Erik.