In the News

By William Hughes

Recently, I was among a number of Boston-area business leaders to be invited to serve as "Principal for a Day" at the Harvard-Kent Elementary School in Charlestown. This was my first time experiencing this great program and I was not sure what to expect going in.

Like you, I have read a lot about the myriad challenges that the City of Boston's public school system is facing including funding, unions/work hours, and the impact of charter schools as well as the possibility of school closings. The Harvard-Kent school is right in the middle of this storm, being one of the poorest in the system; spending a day at the school was an incredibly eye-opening experience.

I started the day in a meeting with Harvard-Kent Principal Richard Martin.  I could tell right away that he is a strong and natural leader.  It would be very easy for Richard to surrender and give in to the challenges he faces, however his leadership skills and positive, upbeat personality shine through.

While talking with Richard, I thought of some of the lessons that I have learned in my 30 years working in the corporate world and how they apply to his situation.  One thing I have learned, is that true business leaders can lead in good and bad times, but excelwhen the going gets rough.  This is true of Richard.

I was extremely impressed by Richard's sense of optimism, accountability, strategic thinking, and transparency even under some of the most dire of circumstances.  Fiscal budgets are being cut throughout the school system, meaning programs and staff are shrinking or being cut.  The Harvard-Kent is no exception, and the Vice Principal position was recently eliminated along with other services.

While fully acknowledging the position the school is in, Richard continues to motivate others and push-forward. Every teacher on his faculty is highly motivated thanks to him.  Because of this leadership, the school has had very impressive results on math testing.  They are among the best in the City of Boston and every teacher is focused on improving the students' language and English skills.

As I walked around and interacted with the students, I was impressed with their drive and  thirst for knowledge. The system is the challenge, not the children, and it is our obligation to nurture their desire to learn. We're building tomorrow's leaders and to do that, we also must do what we can to help educators like Richard Martin and all the faculty and staff of these schools get the resources and tools to help students achieve their academic goals.

William Hughes is the President of Shawmut Design and Construction in Boston and resident of Cambridge, MA.