Superintendent
Randolph Public Schools
With a deep commitment to continuous learning and professional growth, Dr. Stovell Herndon has emerged as a highly respected leader in the Commonwealth.
Now in her eighth year as Superintendent of the Randolph Public Schools, Dr. Thea Stovell Herndon is reflective about the ways she has grown as a district leader. Thea said she credits that growth to two main factors: learning on the job, including valuable lessons from mistakes and missteps; and professional learning with her colleagues, through M.A.S.S. and other support networks.
“The biggest challenge on the job for me is the political piece,” she said. “I didn’t understand the political acumen that was needed to be a successful superintendent.”
Thea said that today, more than ever, Superintendents must be adept at navigating complex political environments. Her approach has been to keep the community focused on a vision for student success, while trying to keep political discord out of the schools.
“Part of my job has been to change the image of the Randolph Public Schools, and I feel like I’ve had a lot of success in that area,” Thea said. “We’re not there yet, but I’m spending a lot of time helping this community feel proud of their schools.”
Investments and Accomplishments
Thea said she is proud of what she and her team have accomplished, including the opening last year of the new North Randolph Elementary School, which she described as an eight-year “labor of love.”
“It’s a gorgeous school,” Thea said. It features small group instruction rooms, mobile classroom technology, a STEAM lab, outdoor classroom, a terrarium, and much more, but her favorite feature is the slide that children can take from the second floor right to the principal’s office.
“One of our mottos in Randolph is that we want to bring the joy back to learning,” said Thea. “The slide represents that joy.”
Thea also has made literacy proficiency a top priority, and thanks to a significant investment of time and resources, the district has made notable gains in students’ reading scores. Thea said that when she was the middle school principal, she was troubled by low literacy rates among her students. She discovered that Randolph students did not have a set phonics curriculum at the elementary level. When she became Superintendent, Thea ensured that all K-8 teachers became trained in the science of reading, and the district adopted a new reading curriculum.
District educators developed and implemented a Literacy Action Plan that has yielded impressive results. In 2021, fewer than 30% of students were proficient. The five-year plan included a goal of 80% proficiency by 2027. Thea said two of the district’s four elementary schools have exceeded the three-year benchmark of 60%, and the other two have demonstrated tremendous growth and are close to the benchmark.
In February 2024, when Governor Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, and Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler held a celebration of their $30 million statewide initiative, “Literacy Launch: Reading Success from Age 3 through Grade 3,” (press release | video) the State leaders chose the Young Elementary School in Randolph for the event because of the district’s success in adopting an evidence-based reading program.
“My team is really proud of that work,” said Thea. “It’s been a win-win, because our teachers are starting to see some reward for their hard work, and the kids are excited, too. Now I walk into a kindergarten classroom, and a child will grab me by the hand and say, ‘Let me read to you!’ It’s beautiful to see.”
While celebrating these accomplishments, Thea also emphasized the significant challenges facing public schools, including a dramatic increase in mental health issues among students.
“Whenever there’s a problem, I notice there’s a tendency to say, ‘Let’s make the schools fix it,” because that’s where the kids are.” The result, she said, is a growing number of mandates and expectations for schools, not always accompanied by the resources needed to deliver programs and services.
A Career Devoted to Student Success
Thea’s career focused on children and young adults spans 35 years, including the last 22 in public education. After more than a decade as Director of Youth Services for Volunteers of America, She worked for ten years in various roles at a charter school in Dorchester, including Business Manager, English teacher, Assistant Head of School, and Head of School.
Thea began her tenure at Randolph Public Schools in 2012, first as Founding Principal/Director of AIM Academy, an alternative school for students in grades 7-12 at Randolph High School. She went on to serve as Principal of Randolph Community Middle School and was appointed Superintendent in 2018.
Even while serving in these challenging roles, Thea continued to pursue educational degrees. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in English (with a Black Studies minor) in 1990 and a Master’s degree in Social Work in 1992, both from Boston College. In 2008, she earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Educational Leadership from the University of Massachusetts, and in 2024, a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership, also from Boston College.
Thea noted with pride that she was one of three members of her family to graduate in 2024. That spring, her son Bryce earned a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, and her son Myron Jr. earned a Master’s degree in Education. Myron Jr. now teaches Math in the Brockton Public Schools, after being recruited by his mother to teach Math in Randolph during the pandemic.
Thea’s career as an educator has been shaped in part by her own experiences in public schools. As an elementary student, she participated in the METCO program, riding a bus to and from Newton every day until she enrolled in a Boston exam school for high school. Because of those experiences, Thea said, “it’s very important that a student’s geographic location should not impact the quality of education” they receive.
Thea recalled a Newton Public Schools teacher, Jeffrey Weisenfreund, who made a lasting impression on her, and she remains in contact with him today. She remembers vividly the joy he brought to learning – reading to students with a teddy bear, engaging them in math crosswords and other puzzles, and sharing a daily fun fact about his favorite animal, the hippopotamus.
Thea said, “I grew up in the city, and I didn’t know a lot of white people. This short, white Jewish guy took an interest and made me believe I could do anything.”
She also recalled her high school guidance counselor, one of only two educators of color she had throughout her K-12 experience. He insisted that she apply to college “and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“I had no plans to go to college,” said Thea. “My parents couldn’t afford it. He changed the trajectory of my life. Those two educators are the reasons I got into education.”
Extensive Involvement in M.A.S.S.
Thea has taken full advantage of the resources and opportunities offered by M.A.S.S. to learn and network, and she has emerged as a mentor and leader in the association.
“The programs in M.A.S.S. have taught me to be a more thoughtful and strategic leader, from entry planning to implementation of equity-driven programming,” said Thea.
Thea said she “got a solid start in this role” thanks to the New Superintendent Induction Program (NSIP). She has participated in professional development related to Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) and is active in the Women’s Educational Leadership Network (WELN). Thea is now serving as a Superintendent Facilitator for the inaugural cohort of the M.A.S.S. Superintendent Support Network (MSSN), a new program for Superintendents with at least four years in the role.
At the State level, Thea is serving as the M.A.S.S. representative on Governor Maura Healey’s Massachusetts Statewide K-12 Graduation Council. The Governor established the council in January 2025 to develop recommendations for new statewide graduation requirements, after voters removed MCAS as a graduation requirement in a ballot question last fall. The council recently released the Vision of a Massachusetts High School Graduate, which outlines six key skills and competencies to prepare students for college, career, and civic life.
“We realize that kids need different opportunities and options and ways of showing what they’ve learned,” said Thea. “It’s exciting to be part of a team with lots of different perspectives. Ultimately, we’re keeping the focus on students not only graduating but graduating with the ability to do whatever they want – being open and innovative enough so kids can have room to explore some autonomy, while still meeting the graduation criteria.”
Personal Passions
In her free time, Thea enjoys spending time with her husband David, dancing, and taking vacations on scenic beaches. Twenty years ago, she founded Sisters Together Actively Reading (S.T.A.R.), a monthly book club that began with five local women and has grown to 19 participants across the country today.
Thea and David recently joined the Board for the Annual Louise Herndon Prom Princess, in honor of Thea’s late mother-in-law, who worked for Priscilla’s of Boston, and who in her spare time made prom dresses for girls in her community. The Prom Princess is awarded a complete, professional head-to-toe experience, including transportation and prom tickets for any senior affiliated with the Boys and Girls Club in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. This year, Thea said the organization is excited to be adding a Prom Prince.
On the job, Thea said she gets the most joy from her interactions with students, families, and staff. She appreciates working in a town that values community and cares deeply about public education.
“There’s a sense of belonging here,” she said. “People have bought into this vision that there’s strength in diversity and that all voices matter.”
