'Deeply Humbled': Welch Vows To Bring 'Student-Centered Leadership' To Salem Schools

SALEM, MA — The newly selected superintendent of Salem Public Schools said he was "deeply humbled and honored" to be offered the position after the School Committee voted to support Thomas Welch's candidacy out of a field of three finalists on Wednesday night.

The Associate Superintendent at Boston Public Schools released a statement through the district after the School Committee voted 6-1 to offer him the job, pending successful contract negotiations.

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"After more than 27 years as a teacher, principal, and regional superintendent, I am excited to help Salem build upon its strong foundation and move toward an even brighter future," he said. "This moment calls for collaborative, courageous, and student-centered leadership."

He said that academic growth will remain "central to our work" but that success "must also mean creating schools where every student is known, valued and supported."

Welch appeared to gain the majority of School Committee and community support during the final weeks of the selection process, which included both a community forum and a School Committee interview.

While Committee members were split during the initial round of discussion during Wednesday's meeting, all but one quickly consolidated around Welch as the selection following a motion to make him the choice to replace Steve Zrike, who left the district after six years this spring to become the new state Secretary of Education.

"Salem was fortunate to have three incredibly strong finalists for this important role," said Salem Mayor and School Committee Chair Dominick Pangallo. "I am incredibly optimistic about the future path for Salem Public Schools under Dr. Welch's leadership.

"He brings the qualifications, the commitment to equity and academic excellence, and — above all — the values that will ensure that the positive trajectory of Salem's schools will continue forward."

Welch supervised a network of 15 schools across Boston serving more than 6,600 students across early education, elementary, middle, high, and alternative settings during his decade with the Boston Public Schools.

He served as a member of the Superintendent's Executive Cabinet and led the implementation of district initiatives aligned to equity, inclusion, and high-quality instruction to ensure coherence across schools and alignment with district priorities and goals.

Welch was also an Academic Superintendent with the Alternative Education Network within Boston Public Schools, for which he led a district-wide network of 14 alternative education programs serving 1,200 students.

"We have a strong foundation, with the best-performing public school district among comparable cities in Massachusetts, but there is always more to do," Pangallo said. "I'm confident about the positive outcomes we can achieve moving forward with Dr. Welch as our superintendent, and I'm excited to get to work making that happen, alongside him, our dedicated educators, my colleagues on the School Committee, and all in our community who care about our kids and our schools."

Welch received dual undergraduate degrees in economics and environmental science from Occidental College in 1998 and his master's degree in education from UCLA in 2008.

He went on to earn his doctorate in education from Boston College in 2020.