Marks Opens Her Door

A version of this story appears in The Daily Norwalk

Dr. Susan Marks, Norwalk’s new superintendent, is starting her third week on the job and has already visited 10 of the city’s 19 schools.  “I’m information gathering but people also want to meet me,” says Marks whose first official meeting with the Board of Education is on Tuesday evening. 

Marks believes in openness and visibility.  So much so, that she has rearranged the furniture in her large office so that her desk faces the always-open door allowing her to see and be seen by passersby.  “Hello there, I’ll be right with you,” she says to appointments as they enter her assistant’s waiting area.

“I’ve been meeting with principals, walking through buildings and talking about programs,” says Marks, who has so far visited Norwalk High School, Brien McMahon High School, Nathan Hale Middle School, West Rocks Middle School and, Tracey, Kendall, Silvermine, Fox Run, Jefferson and Rowyaton Elementary schools..  “I’m hearing a lot about the need for support, consistency of messages, and professional development,” she said. 

In addition to schools, Marks has met with leaders from Norwalk Community College, Stepping Stones, Norwalk Education Foundation and Norwalk Children’s Foundation. “I’m reaching out and building relationships,” she says.  “We need to find money for the school system,” she says.  “We need to look for public and private funds.”  In fact, Marks has already begun writing an application for a Smaller Learning Communities grant, a federal grant for large public high schools to create smaller tailored programs within the larger school to improve student achievement. 

Marks who previously worked as Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources in Montgomery County, Maryland, a much larger district than Norwalk, says she has noticed differences between the two systems.  “There is not as much alignment and central office consistency here.  I keep hearing that every school does its own thing.”

She says while there are naturally “less people to do everything”, she wonders why curriculum writers only work 11 months.  She also questions why there is no summer school for elementary school children.  “I understand it may be because of budgets, but education is really a 12 month thing.”  Marks also says she is accustomed to more “formality” meaning more communication in the form of memos. “As superintendent, I would expect that.”

“I have been hearing ‘this is the way we’ve always done it,’” says Marks.  “ I am most interested in results so maybe we have to look at things differently.  I respect the way things have been done.  We have to take off from there.”