The student news site of Wayland High School

Wayland Student Press

The student news site of Wayland High School

Wayland Student Press

The student news site of Wayland High School

Wayland Student Press

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March 26, 2024
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Gary Burton: saying goodbye after 17 years

Dr. Gary Burton looks into a world unknown, the future of Wayland High School (Credit: Evan Barber/WSPN)

Seventeen years ago Doctor Gary Burton was bringing his family to a Boston Red Sox game, and they made a detour to a small town called Wayland.

Burton had been asked many times to visit Wayland, and since they were in the area, Burton figured, ‘Why not?’ and he gave it a chance.

“It was incredible; I can remember walking into Claypit Hill, and they had third and fourth graders learning to play the violin. The school was so crowded that they had children in the front lobby practicing their music. When I went over to the middle school, there were seventh graders learning Latin. It was clearly a superior school system, not your average, run-of-the-mill school,” said Burton.

This month will mark the end of Burton’s career in Wayland. After retiring, Burton hopes to go home and reclaim his yard and field which have been neglected in New Hampshire for the last 17 years. Burton is also looking forward to spoiling his two grandchildren, who have yet to enjoy that pleasure.

Before coming to Wayland, Burton lived a life of adventure.

Burton was born in Toronto and moved to the US in 1947, growing up in Brooklyn, New York. He went to the public schools there until 3rd grade, when he moved to Springfield, Massachusetts.

In Springfield, Burton finished high school and then attended Springfield College, where he majored in Recreation and Youth Leadership, with aspirations of being a camp counselor. While working exclusively in the summers as a counselor, Burton decide that he would give teaching a try during the school year.

“The perfect match for [a camp counselor] is to be a classroom teacher during the school year. That’s ten months in the year and then go to camp for two months. I was a camp counselor and then a camp director. I was doing what I wanted, except that I fell under the influence of some talented school administrators, who encouraged me to become a school administrator.”

Burton was teaching in Hingham at the time, and spurred on by his mentors he began working on getting his masters in school administration. When he did, an amazing opportunity came his way: a chance to be a school principal in Managua, Nicaragua. Burton and his wife did not hesitate and soon migrated south for the journey of a lifetime.

While in Nicaragua, Burton and others helped build a new school. The school was constructed on a volcano that overlooks what Burton describes as beautiful Lake Nicaragua, best known for being the only lake with freshwater sharks.

“I went to Nicaragua to be an elementary school principal, and shortly after, there was an earthquake,” said Burton. “The earthquake actually gave me the chance to become a superintendent of the school.”

When Burton’s journey in South America was over, he embarked upon a new one in the States. Burton got his doctorate in school administration at Michigan University and took a job in Meredith, New Hampshire, the same town his wife had grown up in, which felt like home.

In Meredith, Burton had a reputation for being one of  the best superintendents in the region. When Bill Zimmerman, superintendent of Wayland, was approaching retirement, Burton was his choice for a replacement. Zimmerman called Burton several times, encouraging him to check out Wayland because it was different from any other school system.

“At the time I was not at all interested in coming back to Massachusetts. I was not at all interested in Route 128 and all the traffic and congestion or suburbia,” said Burton.

Burton visited on a lark, and the rest is history. Wayland is still known for its exceptional school system and academic rigor. If there is one thing Burton hopes he could be remembered for it would be for hiring good people, something he defines as the primary reason the schools are as strong as they are.

As for incoming Superintendent Paul Stein, Burton has complete confidence in his successor.

“It’s in the natural course of things; it’s time for me to leave and for someone else to come in. He seems to have a great deal of knowledge about schools and schools in the western suburbs.”

After 17 years in Wayland, Doctor Gary Burton is ending one chapter and starting a new one. He will be missed by teachers, students and fellow administrators.

“I found him always approachable, always there, very accessible for teachers to talk to, always available, very visible, he tried to learn everybody’s name and I’ll miss him,” recalls language department head Mary Brown.

“I owe him a great debt of gratitude because he took a chance on hiring a very young and inexperienced principal, and that’s me. But at the same time he showed me deep respect and sort of mentored me,” described Wayland High School Principal Patrick Tutwiler.

You have to go back a long time to find a student who remembers a time without having Doctor Burton as their superintendent for their 13 years in Wayland. For the incoming kindergarteners, they will never have a chance to meet that legendary man at Central Office.

“I’ve been blown away by Wayland. It is easy to fall in love with Wayland as a public school system. I gave up what I thought was the best superintendency in New Hampshire. I came to Wayland because I thought it was probably one of the best school superintendencies in the country.”

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Gary Burton: saying goodbye after 17 years