Newton North High School - Newtonian Yearbook (Newton, MA)

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Aaron Fink has been Newton's Super- intendent of Schools for the past ten years. A graduate of Rutgers and Harvard Universities, he spent sixteen years as a high school principal in Massachusetts and in New York before becoming super- intendent in Newton. ln addition to his position in Newton's school system, lvlr. Fink has been a director of Education Collaborative for Greater Boston CEdCOD since 1969. Mr. Fink's daily routine as superintend- ent is varied. l-le spends much of his time visiting schools and consulting with prin- cipals and school coordinators about school programs. His evenings are fre- quently spent with the School Committee, parent groups and public officials dis- cussing issues and programs which effect the school system. lt is the only job l've ever had in which you get your forty hours in by Wednesday morning, said Mr. Fink. Recently Mr. Fink's major efforts have been directed toward trying to maintain the quality of the school system which is currently under the stress of declining enrollment and tighter budgets. Mr. Fink is proud of the fact that, in spite of the stress, opportunities, particularly for stu- dents who have difficulties in school, have expanded greatly. Another of Mr. Fink's interests has been implementing more options for stu- dents who wish to learn outside of the confines of both the school building and the school day. Concerning such pro- grams, Mr. Fink observed that, The class of 1979 is very fortunate to have worked with such a talented staff.

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Q. ...Y if r X im 1, 1 I I see the job of the principal as a guiding job, not a controlling one, said principal Richard Mechem. Mr. Mechem was born in Evanston, Illinois. He attended Harvard College and graduated with honors. He then went on to get a Master's Degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Before becoming principal of Newton North High School in 1960, Mr. Mechem was principal of Walnut Hills High School in Ohio. Newton North is a large school, but Mr. Mechem thinks of Newton North's size as an asset rather than a handicap. I believe in what I call the critical mass theory, which is that in order to accomplish anything you must have a critical mass, a large enough number of interested individuals. The size of Newton North allows it to reach this critical mass in many prOQf8fTIS which are not feasible in other schools. Mr. Mechem feels that a principal should guide and mediate, not direct. The schooI's diversity and depth allow it to run itself, so l can stand off to one side, making sure that no group goes in the wrong direction and that there are no clashing interests. About Newton North's graduating class of 1979, Mr. Mechem said, I see a positive increase in interest and commitment to the classroom, to athletics, to the arts, and to all extracurricular activities.