Needham superintendent candidates

Patricia B. Grenier, 51

Experience: She previously headed the school system in Douglas. She worked as assistant superintendent for seven years in Sudbury, and served as an elementary school principal in Douglas, Gardner, and Northborough. Grenier started out as a special education teacher in Fitchburg.

Education: Doctorate in curriculum administration and special education, Boston College; master's in education, Fitchburg State College; bachelor's in special education, Fitchburg State.

Family: Lives in Harwich Port with her husband. Has a grown daughter and son.

Best high school subject: English and the humanities.

Worst grade in school: Junior-high school typing. ''I couldn't resist the urge to look at the keys."

Favorite teacher: Her fifth-grade teacher, who eventually became a principal. ''He connected to us in a way that made us feel very important to him."

If she wasn't a superintendent, she'd probably be: Owner of a bookstore or an upscale coffee and dessert café.

Daniel E. Gutekanst, 47

Experience: Gutekanst has served as the Shrewsbury High School principal since 1995. Previously he was associate high school principal for seven years in Brookfield, Conn., and an English teacher for seven years at a Catholic school for boys in Los Angeles.

Education: Doctorate in educational administration, Boston College; master's in education administration, Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles; bachelor's in English, College of the Holy Cross in Worcester

Family: Lives in Shrewsbury with his wife, Karen, and their three daughters.

Best high school subject: Social studies and English.

Worst grade in school: ''I got a 'D' one quarter in Algebra II. I was devastated. I turned it around, though."

Favorite teacher: His seventh-grade social studies teacher. ''We had to do in-depth biographies of different historical and political figures and present them in costume."

If he wasn't a superintendent, he'd probably be: In politics, local or national.

Paul A. Livingston, 49

Experience: Livingston has been Littleton superintendent since 2001. He was previously superintendent in Walpole and Lancaster; assistant superintendent in Nashoba Regional Schools. He started his career as a band director in Abington.

Education: Doctor of philosophy in educational administration, Boston College; master's in educational administration, Boston University; bachelor's of music from University of Lowell; now the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. .

Family: Lives in Westford with his wife and their two children.

Best high school subject: ''I'm much more of an English and social studies person than a math and science person."

Worst grade in school: ''I had a C+ in eighth-grade science. I was horrified. But I learned to live with it."

Favorite teacher: His high school band director, who inspired him to be an educator. ''He cared about how I was growing as a musician and a student."

If he wasn't a superintendent, he'd probably be: A professional piano or tuba player