GREENFIELD — After seven years as a superintendent in Vermont, Chris Pratt decided it was time for a change.
“I wanted to be around kids, to work with teachers,” said Pratt, who was recently named interim associate principal at Greenfield Middle School and started work on Sept. 27. “I decided after seven years, I just wanted to be back in a school.”
A current resident of Brattleboro, Vt., Pratt most recently came from Windham Northeast Supervisory Union, where he served for three years as superintendent. Prior to that, he served for four years as superintendent of the Windham Southwest Supervisory Union. He is a Massachusetts native.
Pratt said the size of the Greenfield School Department appealed to him in his job search.
“What appealed to me here is the meeting with the principal, and meeting with the interview committee,” he added. “It seemed like everything they were discussing they wanted to do for Greenfield Middle School was exactly why I was looking to go from a superintendent to an associate principal. I was really looking for a place where I could make an impact.”
Pratt said he has served in various teaching and administrative roles throughout his 28 years in education, including assistant principal at Brattleboro Union High School for seven years, and dean of students at Boston College High School.
The variety of roles, he said, allows him to put himself in other people’s shoes as he makes decisions.
“I think that’s very important, because I’m speaking from experience, not what I read in a book or saw in the media,” Pratt said. “When it comes down to making decisions as an administrator, it’s important to know what people are going through in their job.”
So far, he said he feels Greenfield Middle School has been a “great fit.”
“I hit the ground running,” he said. “For me, it’s about building relationships. I think that’s very important to me.”
Outside of education, Pratt said he enjoys spending time with family, venturing outdoors, sports and music.
And after years of working outside Massachusetts, Pratt is excited to return “home.”
“For someone who grew up in Massachusetts, it feels good to be back in my home state, in education,” he said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted the opportunity to do.”
Pratt said although he’s serving in an interim position, he hopes it will turn into more than a year-long opportunity.
“I think the vision and the goals (Principal Lynn Dole) and Superintendent (Christine DeBarge) have for the district and the school are very, very impressive,” he said. “You can see how much they care about it. I wanted to be part of what they want to do.”
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne