Arlington superintendent resigns, citing 'intense political climate'

August 8, 2008 02:50 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By Ryan Kost, Globe Correspondent

Arlington School Superintendent Nate Levenson unexpectedly resigned his post during an emergency school committee meeting yesterday.

Nate Levenson

Much of Levenson’s three-year stint with the district was marred by a contentious back-and-forth between him and a principal he tried twice to fire. In his letter of resignation, he mentioned the long-running struggle and the "intense political climate." And he said, “these have been very hard years for me personally."

Jeff Thielman, a school board member, said Levenson called him Wednesday night to tell him he was considering resigning. The decision, he said, came as a surprise, especially considering that Levenson just received a three-year contract extension.

“A lot of very good things were done during his time as superintendent,” Thielman said. He mentioned a “beefed-up” reading program, a reorganized administration that saved the district money, and increased resources for special education.

“It saddens me on a personal level, but I think the role of the school committee is to keep the district moving forward,” he said.

Kathleen Bodie, the assistant superintendent under Levenson, was given his position in the interim, Thielman said.
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