Robert Henry, the superintendent of the Hartford, Conn., schools, announced last week he will step down, two months after the city’s mayor became chairman of the school board.
Mr. Henry has led the 24,000-student system since late 2002, when it returned to local control after a three-year state takeover.
Last fall, changes in the city’s charter gave Mayor Eddie A. Perez a majority of appointments to the board, which was expanded from seven to nine members. The mayor, who appointed himself as a member, was elected chairman. (“Hartford Mayor Heads Board,” Jan. 4, 2006)
The mayor’s impatience about the pace of improvement prompted speculation about whether Mr. Henry’s contract would be extended this spring. The superintendent said last week he plans to leave June 30.
