Ex-Superintendent Named to Board of Educators Institute

Lebanon — The Upper Valley Educators Institute, an organization that provides internships to people with bachelor’s degrees to prepare them for a teaching career, has appointed Etna resident Wayne Gersen to the board of directors.

Gersen is the former superintendent of School Administrative Unit 70, which covers Hanover and Norwich. He retired in 2011 and began doing educational consulting, with a focus on collaborative planning, organizational development, policy development and governance studies.

Page Tompkins, executive director at the institute, said Gersen’s policy work will be very beneficial to the organization.

“He’s brining a lot of very current perspectives, which is very helpful for us,” Tompkins said in a phone interview.

Gersen will join other current and retired Upper Valley superintendents on the institute’s board, strengthening the organization’s ties to public school systems throughout the area, Tompkins said.

“This is a rich tradition for (us) to have experienced school and system leaders on our board,” he said.

Gersen said he was drawn to the institute because of the way it prepares future teachers through hands-on experience. During his time as a superintendent he had many faculty members who were alumni of the institute’s programs, and he was impressed with their skills.

“I have been an advocate for experiential learning at all levels, including at colleges and even graduate schools,” said Gersen, 70, in a telephone interview. “I have personally benefited from that type of education. That kind of practical learning pays big dividends.”

Gersen earned a bachelor’s degree in humanities and technology from Drexel University and master’s and doctoral degrees in education administration from the University of Pennsylvania.