Bob Melican, RIP

I see that the comments section over at the Telegram and Gazette have been busy today with fine words for Bob Melican, the former Northborough-Southborough Regional school superintendent who died this week. I'm glad that he's been getting those tributes.

Bob was my superintendent. He was one of two that I taught for, and he gave me a high standard by which to judge what a superintendent should be.

The day before school started every year, the teachers of the district would all pile into Algonquin's auditorium for some speaker, whom we all would inevitably resent for taking up time when we could be prepping for classes. That speaker would get done and Bob would get up to give us his new school year speech. And by the time he got done, you were glad you were there, and you were sure that this was going to be a great year.
He was on your side.
And he never forgot what it was to be a teacher: to be the one in the classroom with twenty-five pairs of eyes on you, depending on what you did and said. He knew how difficult and how draining it is, and he valued you for it. He was part of the team of people that were getting your students an education.
And he made you want to be there.
I can think of no higher praise for a superintendent than one who makes his teachers want to be there.

Thank you, Bob. I will miss you.