Mary L. Russo Named 2004 Thomas C. Passios Outstanding Principal and the Massachusetts National Distinguished Principal

Mary L. Russo receives Passios Award from Commissioner Driscoll

Mary is described by Superintendent Thomas Payzant as an exemplar. “Her professionalism, leadership in developing programs, dedication to education and unselfish attitude towards helping others make her an outstanding candidate.” The principal of the Richard J. Murphy School in Dorchester, Mary is recognized by parents as an advocate for their children, who works tirelessly in securing the resources to create and sustain an effective and positive learning environment that has received recognition at the national, state and local levels.

Mary’s career as an educator began in 1968 as a classroom teacher in the Boston Public Schools. She also has served as a Reading Specialist at the secondary level and as a Reading Program Director within the Office of Curriculum and Instruction. In 1990 she was appointed as the principal of the Samuel W. Mason School in Roxbury and in 1997 was named Principal-on-Loan to the Boston Annenberg Challenge where she assisted 28 Boston schools in the identification of their school-wide focus, professional development plans and school budgets. In 1999, Mary was appointed to lead the Richard J. Murphy School, the largest elementary school in Boston.
Upon assuming the position of principal at the Samuel W. Mason School, Mary began to improve upon the school culture through teambuilding and consensus building within both the school and the community. She and her faculty were able to create a shared vision for their school – one that focused on improved student learning. Because of the collaborative efforts under her leadership, the Mason School was transformed from an under-performing and least selected school in the system to one that continues to be considered an exemplary model within the Boston Public Schools. In 1997 the Samuel W. Mason School was named a United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
Moving on to the Richard J. Murphy School, then offering a K-5 program that offered no extra services for students and considered poor performing on statewide tests, Mary wrote numerous grant proposals in support of teaching and learning, student support services, and for an after-school tutorial program. These efforts, as well as the many improvements made on the administrative and teaching levels, provided the impetus for the Murphy School community to advocate for extending the school program to include grades six through eight. The proposed redesign of Murphy into a K-8 school received the necessary support from community and school leaders and today is the recipient of numerous recognitions, including a United States Department of Education National Distinguished Title I School and a Massachusetts Department of Education Commonwealth Compass School in 2002.

A published author and program developer, Mary has written the Compact for Reading and a series, School-Home Links/Book Links which includes a set of instructional resources for each grade level, Kindergarten through Grade Three. The U.S. Department of Education also published her Compact for Reading Guide in 1999. Many programs have been developed and initiated under Mary’s leadership. A.S.P.I.R.E. – Aspiring and Studying to be Powerful Instructors and Reflective Educators, a voluntary school-based training program for new and aspiring teachers, was held on three full days this year. Areas covered are Behavior Management, School and Classroom Culture, Math Instruction, and Literacy Instruction. The goals of ASPIRE are to develop a school-based training program for teachers, interns, substitutes, and paraprofessionals on a career track to teaching that is consistent with the vision and values of the Murphy School community; to ensure that excellent instruction continues when Murphy classroom teachers need to be outside of their classrooms for meetings, sick days, or professional development; and to build a “farm team” of professionals that are well versed in the Murphy School instructional philosophy and methodology and prepared to fill future Murphy School teaching vacancies.

A feature of Mary’s leadership at the Murphy School is an innovative system of job-embedded professional development to insure teachers have the knowledge, skill, and competence they need to teach students to high standards. In addition to workshops, courses, and inquiry groups, teachers work with literacy and math coaches who provide over-the-shoulder coaching and mentoring as well as demonstration lessons, observation, and feedback right in the classrooms of teachers.

Since Mary became principal of the Murphy School in 1999, several extra-time programs for struggling learners or those needing more time to meet state standards have been initiated with support of outside funding. PRIME TIME extends the school day by three hours, five days per week, and focuses on tutoring, homework help, and recreational activities and mirrors the inclusive culture of Murphy with disabled students participating alongside their non-disabled peers. PRIME TIME is supplemented by SUMMER STARS, a six-week, five day per week, full-day summer program. Morning sessions are devoted to reading, writing, math, and science. Afternoon sessions find students participating in swimming, field trips, intramural sports, art, music and technology based activities. A SATURDAY SCHOLARS program operates for eight weeks just prior to major examinations and focuses on reading writing and math using strategies of the school’s literacy and math programs with smaller group sizes.

Mary lives in Jamaica Plain with her husband, Richard, and their children, Christopher and Andrew.

Past Passios Award Recipients