January, 2025

Dear Bloomfield Community,

I am honored and humbled to be serving in the role of Superintendent for the Bloomfield Public Schools. As many of you will learn from our discussions, accountability meetings, planning sessions and visits to my office, I am an avid Wizard of Oz fan. I believe the movie is a metaphor for life and there is much to learn from the main characters who are searching for gifts they believe they lack. After an exhausting, and sometimes frightening, journey, to find the Wizard of OZ, the main characters discover through teamwork and determination that they already possessed the gifts they searched for. The Tin Man is reminded that he has a heart, the Scarecrow demonstrates he has the brains, the Lion is boldly courageous and Dorothy always had the ability to get back home. Effective educators and leaders naturally rely on the lessons this movie teaches us. They develop the kinds of relationships that assume best intentions and regularly remind those they lead that they do, indeed, have everything they need to be successful. True leaders, at all levels of an organization, build on individual and group strengths, listen carefully to all perspectives, provide ongoing feedback for continuous improvement and celebrate successes along the way. I am looking forward to reminding the Bloomfield Public School (BPS) staff, and the community at large, that this school district has much to be proud of. And more importantly, that we possess the ability to write the next chapter of the school systems’ history.

Over the next several months, I will be following through on four interconnected priorities that will allow me to assess what is working well, what requires immediate attention and how I can maximize the talents and strengths of individuals in the organization for the greater good of our students.

Priority #1: Building Team (Relationships, Communication & Perspectives):
The overall goal of this priority is to connect with all stakeholders (BPS students, staff, families, Board of Education members, local and regional government officials and partners) in order to understand their perspectives and informally learn about their vision for the future of BPS.

Priority #2: Student Outcomes (Teaching, Learning & Leadership):
The overall goal of this priority is to ensure that the district’s curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional learning and accountability measures are in place and working effectively.

Priority # 3: Family & Community (Engagement, Advocacy & Partnerships):
The overall goal of this priority is to determine the current level of engagement from BPS families and community partners (employers and universities) and ensure that the district is effectively leveraging these partnerships in support of student success.

Priority # 4: Efficient Operations (Systems, Safety & Accountability):
The overall goal of this priority is to ensure that physical and emotional safety exists throughout the organization and that there are systems in place to ensure compliance with all state mandates. As stewards of taxpayer funds and those responsible for ensuring student outcomes, the district is obligated to demonstrate student centered, transparent and sustainable budgeting practices.

Throughout my focus on these key priorities, I will be working on developing a sense of team within the organization and intentionally highlighting and celebrating notable accomplishments. I have unpacked many of the Wizard of Oz gifts that I have received over the past twenty years, starting with my first leadership position as Assistant Principal of Carmen Arace. The gifts remind me to stay committed to the journey when it gets exhausting and sometimes frightening. I look forward to leading and supporting the work on behalf of Bloomfield’s amazingly talented students.

Sincerely,

Tracy A. Youngberg, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools