Carolyn Lyons, superintendent of Middleborough Public Schools and a finalist for Mansfield’s superintendent job, told the Mansfield School Committee on Feb. 8 that she views the superintendent’s role as a collaborative conductor who must center students, protect staff and build relationships across town government.

"The superintendent is really the conductor of an orchestra," Lyons said during her hourlong public interview, adding that strong results require buy-in from teachers, parents and community partners. Lyons said she leads by building relationships, staying transparent and modeling vulnerability so staff are comfortable taking risks and improving instruction.

Why it matters: Lyons positions mental-health supports and technology literacy — including responsible classroom use of AI — as priorities for districts like Mansfield, which are already high performing overall but face gaps for specific student subgroups and growing social-emotional needs.

Details from the interview

- Mental health and digital literacy: Lyons highlighted gaps identified in Mansfield’s equity audit and survey data and urged stronger mental-health systems and easier access to care. She recommended a care-navigation service (she cited Care Solace from her Middleborough experience) to reduce wait times for counseling and to provide a warm handoff from referral to first appointment.

- Instructional improvement: Lyons described the use of instructional rounds and "problem of practice" work to align administrators' observations and themes across classrooms. She said leadership teams should train together to agree on what they see in classrooms before initiating schoolwide improvements.

- Safety and public health: Lyons described a district safety audit in Middleborough that brought police, fire, SROs and an outside contractor together to test procedures and run tabletop exercises. She said the most effective audits include local chiefs and result in clear checklists and follow-ups.

- Hiring and human resources: Lyons outlined multi-step hiring that uses screening committees, in-person interviews and situational exercises. She said retention depends on how employees are treated and recommended teacher leadership programs, targeted professional development and visible workplace supports.

- Budget and facilities: Lyons said financial decisions should align with a district’s strategic plan and be framed honestly for taxpayers. She has experience with capital and MSBA building projects and said long-range plans must prioritize safety and energy-efficient maintenance while keeping town-government collaboration central.

Context and next steps

Lyons said she applied for the Mansfield job because the district had already undertaken an equity audit and because of her geographic proximity; she told the committee she lives close enough to attend events and respond quickly to incidents. The committee did not take a hiring vote during the interviews; deliberations and a public vote are scheduled for a later meeting.

Ending

Lyons told the committee she is comfortable making tough calls when necessary and that her legal background has made her an "unafraid" advocate for students: "I am completely unafraid to over and over again support and defend our students," she said.