‘Students are everything for me’: Franklin Tech Superintendent Richard Martin to retire

MONTAGUE — Franklin County Technical School Superintendent Richard Martin feels like he’s never worked a day in his 35-year career in public school education.

“I feel as though I’ve been called to do this, and I feel as though, because of that,
the years just flew by,” Martin said.

In the decades that Martin, 62, has spent in education as both a teacher and administrator, 17 of those years have been at Franklin Tech, as first a principal starting in 2009, then as superintendent since 2015. Come June 30, he will be retiring to explore the next phase of his life, after making the decision with his family earlier this month.

Martin, a native of Natick, has spent a large portion of his career working in special education and administration. Early in his career, he was a teacher and clinician for juvenile offenders with the Department of Youth Services before transitioning to the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School in Franklin as a school adjustment counselor for eight years. From there, he spent another eight years at Littleton Public Schools, first as a district-wide adjustment counselor and out-of-district placement coordinator before becoming the assistant special education director. After that, he spent two years at Lunenburg High School as principal before coming to Franklin Tech.

Outside of education, Martin takes pride in his 20 years as a basketball coach, saying that it is a sport and hobby that helps take his mind off “the daily grind.” He is also a pilot, having first picked up the hobby after taking a flight lesson near Tri-County.

Accomplishments at Franklin Tech

Martin was central in the development of the Veterinary and Animal Science program and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved Aviation Maintenance Technology program, along with initiating the process for building a new high school.

Martin noted that $11.4 million in grant funding has been secured during his tenure to support Franklin Tech’s growth, without needing support from member towns. On top of grant support, he worked collaboratively to develop these vocational tracks with the support of the School Committee, administration and faculty.

Regarding the Veterinary and Animal Science program, Martin said he felt it was an important addition that serves one of the most agriculturally driven parts of the state. It is also important, he continued, for Aviation Maintenance Technology to be offered as the industry builds its ranks, while providing an opportunity to take advantage of the Turners Falls Municipal Airport next door. He said grant funding supports students being able to work with industry-standard equipment to get them experience before going into the field.

“It came from a place of passion to help students obtain a livable wage with job openings that they’re going to have all over the place,” Martin said about the aviation program.

An emphasis on students is Martin’s “guiding philosophy.”

“For me, and those who know me, students are everything for me,” he said. “I love the staff, but we’re all here for the students.”

He said going into the cafeteria and greeting students, and checking in on how they are doing in their shops or sports, reminds him of the value of his work.

Martin said he operates with “relational leadership,” which involves interacting with students and faculty and being a familiar face to them. In fact, he’s written a book, “Relational Leadership: Engaging Skills Beyond the Office,” about this leadership style, noting that students notice when their leaders aren’t making an effort to know them.

A tough act to follow

There’s no better place to witness Martin’s impact on Franklin Tech than in the cafeteria during lunchtime.

Seniors Ava Garappolo and Jac LeBlanc have been at Franklin Tech since their time as freshmen, and both say they appreciate Martin’s social engagement with the students, having not seen it at other schools.

“Who was our superintendent?” Garappolo asked LeBlanc about their former superintendent in middle school.

“I don’t even know,” LeBlanc replied.

Both Garappolo and LeBlanc say Martin is someone students can go to for school advice, and he will steer them onto the right path.

This kind of desire to help students is something that former student and current culinary arts instructor Mitarho Kelly observed during his time at the school from 2009 to 2013. He said he came to the district from Springfield Public Schools and he experienced a culture shock, but Martin supported him as a culinary arts student.

“He encouraged me to stay motivated and keep my head up through some of the different hard times I went through,” Kelly said, sharing that Martin also connected him to local business owners who helped mentor him as he opened his own business.

When Martin began working at Franklin Tech, he became colleagues with English and Spanish teacher John Carey, who was the director of curriculum at the time. Carey also speaks to the care Martin has for the students, knowing them all by name, and how he’s constantly visiting the instructional spaces, noting that this type of engagement is not typical of many superintendents.

While Martin has decided the time has come to step away, he said he will be around to help out in any way he can, especially as the district continues toward a county-wide vote on the proposal to build a new school.

This was a process that Martin said he initiated, and he’d like to see it through.

As a district leader with a number of accomplishments under his belt, there is one thing that he believes will stay with him for the rest of his life that no new building can hold a flame to.

“Forget about the aviation building, forget about the animal science building. Forget about a new, big facility. Eventually, whoever is in this position can get those things done,” he said. “I know I have built a good rapport and had a connection with students at a high level that will last the rest of my life, and I know for some of them, it will be an impact on the rest of their lives. For that, you can’t put a price tag on it.”