School chief will retire to Harvard

Boston School Superintendent Thomas W. Payzant, who will retire in June after nearly 11 years of leading the system, has accepted a post-retirement job as a part-time senior lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Harvard announced yesterday that Payzant will begin teaching about leadership and school system reform in urban education on July 1.

''This partnership is natural and, in some ways, hardly surprising," said acting dean Kathleen McCartney. ''He's one of the best known educators in the country."

Prior to Boston, Payzant served as assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education during the Clinton administration, and led several school systems, including San Diego and Oklahoma City.

Payzant, who has a master's degree and a doctorate in education from Harvard, said teaching appeals to him at this stage in his career.

''I wanted time to do some thinking and reflecting to help me understand better the successes that I've had and the mistakes that I've made," he said.

Payzant said he won't be judging the city school system from across the river. ''I'm not going to be second-guessing every move that goes on in Boston," he said.

TRACY JAN