West Hartford School Board Appoints New Superintendent

Tom Moore’s meteoric rise through the West Hartford school system culminated with his appointment as the new Superintendent of Schools, effective July 1, 2014.

The Board of Education unanimously made the appointment at its meeting on Wednesday evening. A large crowd at the school board's meeting gave Moore a standing ovation.

Moore will succeed Dr. Karen List, who announced last June that she will step down at the end of the 2013-14 school year. His salary will be $197,000.

“I am so excited to be entrusted with the most important asset this town has: its kids,” Moore said in an interview. “I love everything about West Hartford. This is my place.”

Moore, who lives in West Hartford and has children in the school system, said that “everything good in my life” has come about from living and working in town.

And he said that he is looking forward to the new challenge.

“I am so excited to be able to show the whole country what public education looks like when it works,” said Moore, who added that West Hartford has a great school system. “We can keep getting better.”

Moore rose through the ranks in the West Hartford school district, first starting out as a history and social studies teacher at Conard High in 1996, then as a history and social studies department supervisor for Conard and Sedgwick Middle School in 2005, then as Conard’s principal in 2007 before taking over his current position as assistant superintendent for administration in 2010.

List said in a telephone interview that Moore caught her eye as a potential administrator when he spoke at Conard High’s graduation years ago at the request of the students.

“I had never heard him speak,” she said. “He was so smart and such a gifted orator, I wanted to keep him in West Hartford. He moved [up the ranks] quickly.”

List said that Moore possesses the qualities necessary for the schools’ top official.

“He’s smart, he’s got a quick wit, he’s loyal, politically savvy, got great common sense, he’s fiscally responsible and he has a strong moral compass,” List said. “He really cares about what’s right and just for the kids. He keeps them safe and he holds high expectations.

“He’s not only a good man and a good educator, he’s also a good father.”

List said that he’s also clear about the direction West Hartford schools is going in and they are going about doing it.

“We’ve made great progress and he’s going to keep it going and make it better,” List said. “I’m thrilled for him and I’m thrilled for the district.”

Board of Education Chairman Bruce Putterman said that the board “strongly embraces the direction that our current superintendent, Karen List, has charted for our district” and that Moore would provide continuity.

“We believe that Mr. Moore will do exactly that, accented with his own unique collaborative, engaging, and approachable style,” Putterman said. “Tom deeply believes in our mission of inspiring and preparing all students to realize their potential. What strikes me most about Tom is that for him, all students really does mean all students. ...

“To know Tom is to know that he loves this town. He is quite moved and humbled by the fact that he will now serve as the superintendent of a community that means so much to him. The day after we informed Tom of his appointment, he told me in an email: ‘I feel like I am the right person, and that I have earned the position, but right now, while I sit in my office, looking out my windows, I know that I am the luckiest man in Connecticut.’

“I told Tom the luck is mutual, that we are equally lucky to have him as our new leader.”

Other school board members echoed Putterman's sentiments. 

"I want to congratulate Tom on his past and continued success as one of our state’s best assistant superintendents," said Mark Zydanowicz. "Tom has always led by example. There’s a difference in managing and leadership. Many can manage but few can lead. Leadership is setting a direction, controlling that direction with dynamic guidance and inspiring others to flourish while providing an environment for success. Tom embodies the very corps of leadership at the highest level."

School board member Elin Katz agreed.

"While I’m certainly impressed by his credentials, however, it’s Tom Moore the person that led me to support him for superintendent from the beginning," she said. "He has a warm, open personality, with a big laugh, and a loud voice, and just a big persona that draws people in, that inspires confidence.  And every time Tom tells a story – and he tells a lot of stories – it always comes down to the kids, to a success story with a student, or one of his own kids, or one of his former football players when he was a coach."

The school district set up a blog here to for people to congratulate Moore.