Walpole Public Schools recently named William Hahn, current principal of Johnson Middle School, as the new assistant superintendent. Previously, the position was held by Dr. Bridget Gough, but she recently accepted the superintendent position of Walpole Public Schools following Dr. Lincoln Lynch’s retirement this year. Both administrators will officially start their positions in the 2019-2020 school year.

Despite being the newest addition to the WPS administrative system, Hahn has had a career in
education for 19 years. He has been the principal of JMS for the past five years; before, he was Walpole High School’s assistant principal for four years. Additionally, before working in Walpole, Hahn taught at Catholic Memorial School in West Roxbury.

“I think I’ve grown to appreciate [WPS] and was excited at the prospect of being part of the districtwide leadership team,” Hahn said. “I knew that I would still be able to work closely with principals, department chairs and teachers in this position. I knew I would still be collaborating with some phenomenal educators.”

The town received 50 applicants, both internal and external, and a screening group narrowed the applicant pool down to 10 candidates. The Search Committee, chaired by John Queally—director of student services—then selected a small group of finalists whom they presented to Gough and Lynch. After seeing all the finalists, the School Committee unanimously voted for Hahn at their meeting on March 28.

“The advantage [of considering] school leaders within the district is that we not only see their intellectual and academic growth and interactions with students, but we are also privy to their work ethic and moral compass,” Lynch said.

In the past, Hahn and Gough have worked together, as they were both principals for the town’s two middle schools. For example, they have worked on the 1:1 Chromebook Initiative, which provides a Chromebook to each student, and Project Based Learning. Similarly, Hahn has done extensive work in the areas of response to intervention, inclusion practices and digital literacy throughout the district.

“I am so excited to work with [Gough] to ensure learning that achieves success in Walpole. I have
developed a really strong working relationship with her, and I think that our core educational values and visions are so aligned,” Hahn said. “We already have, and will continue to, work well with one another.”

As for the future, Hahn will finish the 2018-2019 school year as the JMS principal, and then he will
focus on his new role as the assistant superintendent. Despite leaving, Hahn believes that he will always have a strong connection with JMS.

“There is no doubt that I will be the assistant superintendent for all schools in Walpole, but there is no doubt that I will always have a connection to [JMS]. I think I will always feel very connected to [JMS], the students and especially the staff,” Hahn said. “Walpole has had such an impact on me as an educator and as a professional. I have learned so much working [here], and I am excited that I can continue my career in this district.”