Thursday, January 18, 2007 Older Editions

Two administrators plan to retire

By April Guilmet

While it's too soon to say how many experienced school employees will retire this year, It's never too early to start planning for the vacancies. So Andover is advertising for a new elementary school principal and a pupil personnel administrator.

Longtime Sanborn Elementary School Principal Stephen Jankauskas and Pupil Personnel Administrator Susan O'Brien will be among those retiring from their positions.

Rebecca Martinez, the town's human resources assistant, said other retirements are currently pending.

"But we usually don't know for sure until around April, that's when final confirmations are usually released," she said. She declined to say just how many other educators were expected to retire this year.

Affectionately known as "Mr. J" by many students, Jankauskas' career in the district spans well over three decades. He did not return a phone call and an e-mail.

Hired as a special education teacher at West Elementary School in 1970, Jankauskas was promoted to the school's special education supervisor, eventually serving as head of the special education core evaluation team for all the elementary schools and later, the entire Andover district. From 1980 to 1984, Jankauskas served as president of the Andover Education Association. In 1984, he joined the staff of South Elementary as a fourth-grade teacher, becoming the school's first assistant principal in 1998. In 2000, Jankauskas served as interim principal at Sanborn Elementary. By July 2001, he was named permanent principal.

A call to the Pupil Personal office confirmed that O'Brien, who is currently on long-term medical leave of absence, will retire this coming August. She has held the position since August 2001.

The Pupil Personnel Administrator's duties include directing special needs and related contracted services, management of school nursing, out-of-district placements and overseeing of the education of homeless children.