Leading while learning: New superintendent starts in Wareham

Since taking on the role of Wareham's top educator, Wareham Public Schools Superintendent Amy Hartley-Matteson has made listening and learning the focus of her first days on the job. 

Hartley-Matteson started as Wareham's superintendent on July 1, succeeding former Superintendent Matt D'Andrea, who retired at the end of the school year. Before coming to Wareham, Hartley-Matteson served as assistant superintendent for Randolph Public Schools since 2019 and was a principal and a third grade teacher at Wood Elementary School in Fairhaven. 

"I, of course, am coming with lots of experience, but I also don't know Wareham like I need to to be able to lead it," Hartley-Matteson said. "And so I think it's really important for me to just be listening and learning to all kinds of people in the district."

For the first 90 days of her superintendency, Hartley-Matteson has launched a listening tour, meeting with students and families, community and school leaders. She said she wants to learn what people are proud of about Wareham Public Schools and what opportunities they think she can "breathe life into" as superintendent.

"I'm a big believer in relationships and connections," Hartley-Matteson said. 

She added that she wants to get to know people personally in the community. From the conversations she's had so far, Hartley-Matteson said she's impressed by Wareham's investment in the community. She noted that many Wareham teachers used to be students at the school and send their own children to Wareham Public Schools. 

In Hartley-Matteson's desk is a poster about how to build community. She said she got the poster from her mother, who was an elementary school principal in Dennis-Yarmouth. The poster includes a list of community-building tips, like always baking extra treats and sharing them with others. 

Hartley-Matteson said the poster is both a reminder of how to build community and her mom's history as a school leader. The poster was on the door of the assistant superintendent's office in Randolph, her principal's office when she worked in Fairhaven and will now be on the door of her superintendent office in Wareham. 

Sitting on a shelf above Hartley-Matteson's desk is a Funko Pop collectible figure of television soccer coach Ted Lasso. 

"I actually think there's so much leadership in that show," Hartley-Matteson said.

A fan of the Ted Lasso TV series, Hartley-Matteson praised the main character's leadership and positivity. She also said that she admires the way Lasso, an American football coach who takes over British soccer team without any experience coaching the sport, is still an effective leader without knowing everything about soccer. 

"I don't come to this work thinking I know everything…" Hartley-Matteson said. "I come thinking maybe I could help inspire or drive inspiration or lead in some way that will shift folks."

Hartley-Matteson has roots in the South Coast. A Rochester resident, she graduated from ​​Old Rochester Regional High School where she played basketball and volleyball. Her children also attended the school.

When asked if she would root for Wareham or ORR when they face off in sports, Hartley-Matteson declined to answer the question. However, she added that she will be "a Viking through and through" when she attends games this year. 

"It is funny because I grew up a Bulldog and Bulldogs have big rivalries with the Vikings, so it's funny to be transitioning into a Viking," Hartley-Matteson said. "But in this role I'm going to be all in, all in Wareham."