‘Be kind, work hard, have fun’: Waltham High’s new principal sets the tone

Starting this fall, Waltham High School will be led by a new face: William Conard, an educator and principal with 30 years of experience.

He is the fifth person to lead the high school since 2018. “It’s obviously a big school, very complex, a lot of different moving parts,” Conard said. “I think having experience in this role is going to be helpful, but also having that experience in very similar communities.” 

Conard is no stranger to large, diverse schools. He spent a decade as principal of Randolph High School, one of the most diverse high schools in the state, from 2006 to 2011 and returning from 2018 to 2023. He also comes to Waltham with 10 years of experience as a middle school principal in Canton and New Bedford.

He won’t be the only newcomer to the high school’s administrative team. Two new assistant principals are slated to join, bringing the total to six, under a plan championed by Superintendent Marisa Mendonsa.

That plan comes as a relief to Conard, who said the new positions will focus on classroom instruction and student achievement instead of discipline, which often crowds their workload. “I was absolutely thrilled to learn that [Mendonsa] had asked for those positions … That’s going to be a huge, huge game changer for us,” he said. 

The “right move” for English learners

In response to state guidance, the high school is also moving this fall to integrate sheltered English learners into mainstream classes with fluent speakers. In previous years, those students spent most of the school day in separate classes — a dynamic Conard said other districts have done away with. 

“I think the district has moved in the right direction. They’ve moved in the direction that a lot of other districts have already moved in,” he said. 

Despite that trend, teachers have expressed concern about whether students with higher needs will be supported through the transition. Conard said that ample supports are already in place for teachers and students as the school navigates this change, such as a full-time English as a Second Language coach and many professional development opportunities. 

He also said that professional development will help staff get on the same page, after teachers said they felt left out of the loop when the transition was announced. 

“It’s going to take time. It’s going to take learning. We’re not going to get there overnight. But this is the right move,” he said. 

Involving families in setting new schedule

Separately, Conard will take over as the chair of the committee in charge of revising the high school schedule. The effort to shift to a more academics-heavy schedule began last year but was paused after criticism from the public. At recent School Committee meetings, parents have called for a caregiver representative to be more involved in the revision process. Currently, the schedule committee does not include a parent perspective. 

Conard said the district plans to share an updated schedule proposal with families this fall. “There is no perfect schedule,” he said. “We’ve got to try to find one that gets as many wins as possible.” 

However, he said the main goal was to organize a schedule that would give students “significantly more time” in their core academic classes, and emphasized information sharing with families throughout the process. 

A school culture that embraces all students

Only a few weeks into the job, Conard was candid that he still has a lot to learn about Waltham. But some things remain the same from school to school. He said that during the opening assembly for the year, he introduced students to three agreements that make for a prosperous school: be kind, work hard and have fun. 

And to the adults, he stresses that students are people first — and students second.

“I really like … this idea of creating a school-wide culture and climate that embraces all students, not because of anything they’ve done necessarily, but just because they’re here. They’re here, so they have value, and we are so glad to have them here.”