Business as Usual for Westport's Top Educator

The first few weeks of 2011 have thrown up anticipated and unanticipated challenges for Superintendent of Schools Elliott Landon.

The start of the year heralded, as usual, the Board of Education’s reworking of his budget proposal for the next academic year. More unexpectedly, January and early February threw up extreme wintry weather, forcing him to close Westport’s schools for five days.

If Landon is ruffled by budget toil or snow closures, then he’s not showing it. The difficulties are all part of the job that he has held since 1999, and he’s still relishing it.

"I’ve had an incredible amount of professional satisfaction being here,’’ said Landon, speaking in his third-floor office at the Westport Town Hall. "There are so many pieces to this job that it’s challenging intellectually and challenging in other ways. That’s what makes it interesting.’’

As superintendent, he is the de facto chief executive of an administration with 900 employees and an annual spend of a nearly $100 million operating budget. He himself is the highest paid town official.

"It’s a very complex, large organization,’’ said Steven Halstead, a former Board of Education chairman. "It has to be run through professional and business-like methods.’’

Under Landon’s stewardship, the school district has become one of the top-ranking systems in the state and a huge magnet for families seeking public school education. Enrollment at the Staples High School alone has increased by more than 25 percent in five years.

Since he became superintendent in July 1999, more than $200 million has been invested in renovating and expanding town’s schools.

The jewel in the crown is the 450,000 square feet Staples High School complex on North Avenue, which cost $78 million. The state-of-the-art school was opened to students in September 2006 after a three-year building program.

Landon, formerly superintendent of schools in Long Beach, N.Y., is quietly proud of his achievements in Westport.

In addition to mammoth building projects, the educational program has widened and standards have been raised. "Very few districts offer the number of programs and the types of services that we do,’’ he asserted, smiling.

"We put in probably one of the best science research programs in the state at the high school,’’ he said. Staples also increased the number of Advanced Placement courses on offer to 19. At the elementary school level Spanish was introduced and Mandarin Chinese was brought in for grades 6-12.

Landon, a dapper, white-haired New York native, encourages teachers at the start of every school year to keep standards high. "Because others look to us for ways of doing things appropriately,’’ he said. "We are the model for every school system in this country.’’

Landon’s 12-year tenure is unusually long for a school superintendent, a position that is often vulnerable to political divisions and clashing educational philosophies.

His colleagues say that his close interaction with parents groups, teachers, administrators and the Board of Education has contributed to his achievements – and longevity.

"I talk to Elliott every day,’’ said Don O’Day, the current chairman of the BOE, who has served on the board since 2005. "That’s what drives the success we enjoy.’’

Parents get a say too. Once a month Landon meets with the two co-presidents of the PTA Council, the support body for all the PTAs. In addition, he holds a monthly brown bag lunch for all the PTA presidents from the eight public schools, plus the council co-presidents and a member of the BOE.

"We find that our voice is heard,’’ said PTA Council Co-President Marianne Goodell. "No-one’s operating in a vacuum. We never feel like the PTA is a problem to be dealt with.’’

For his part, Landon credits some of the success of the schools system to the contribution – and demands - of families. "We’re very fortunate that we have a community that has high standards and high expectations and is willing to put the money up to make it happen,’’ he said.

If it weren’t for parents making suggestions for improvement, ‘’we’d just be a bureaucracy that feeds upon its own self-image,’’ he said. "They are our clients. If you ran a business you’d want to see client reaction; you’d want to know if you’re product is any good.’’

Landon, who holds a masters degree and Doctor for Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, also attributes the school district’s achievements to "outstanding’’ teachers and administrators. The BOE also gets his praise.

"Our board has been excellent,’’ he said. "They are the policymakers. They do set the tone.’’

Board Chairman O’Day admits that he and Landon don’t always see exactly eye to eye on every issue. Still, "he is absolutely dedicated to the kids in town,’’ O’Day said. "He is an education visionary.’’

Part of that vision means Landon, who exudes professional calm, is troubled by the state of education nationally. "I think it’s undervalued every place in our society,’’ he said. "And undervalued in terms of government commitment to it, at the state, national and local level.’’

And while Landon is pleased that President Obama called attention to education spending in his recent State of the Union address, he fears it might be too little too late.

With this big picture in mind, Landon is concentrating on training Westport’s youngsters to think critically. "We’re now focusing on how to give all of our kids the creative problem-solving skills so that they can adapt to what’s going to be expected of them in the years ahead,’’ he said.

For Landon, the weeks ahead promise more wrangling over the 2011-2012 schools budget. The $98 million, 188-page proposal will shortly be delivered to the Board of Finance and then the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) for close scrutiny.

Further wintry weather may also give Landon a headache, for the decision to close schools rests on his shoulders only. February is typically the snowiest month and already the academic calendar has been amended because of closures.

Still, none of the issues seem to diminish his enthusiasm for his role in Westport education. "You couldn’t ask for better kids,’’ he said. "It’s a great community. It’s just a great place to be.’’