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GRAFTON, Mass. - Some people are too busy. Others do their best to keep busy. For former Grafton Schools superintendent Ken Grew, it's not about busy you are, but what you want to accomplish.
Grew recently attended a School Committee meeting because he is involved in the dedication of the new Grafton High School football field in honor of late long-time coach Richard Egsegian.
Grew is a member of the Building Committee and the Board of Assessors and has remained very involved in the town of Grafton since his days as superintendent from 1973-86.
However, Grew is also now the interim superintendent in Ludlow, Mass., which needed someone with Grew's experience to come in and stabilize the district. Despite all those responsibilities, Grew was able to find the time to support honoring coach Egsegian.
"I've noticed that busy people seem to be able to make the time," Grew said.
Grew has served an interim superintendency in North Brookfield in the past, was well as a few other consulting gigs, but now Grew is facing new challenges out in the western part of the state.
Originally hired to help find a new superintendent for the district, Grew ended up interviewing for the job himself.
When originally asked if he'd be interested, Grew said, "I'm too old for this," but after some encouragement, Grew admitted the whole process had "started to get the juices flowing again."
Soon enough, Grew was on the job with clear goals in mind - to bring stability to the district and provide a direction for the incoming superintendent.
"I didn't realize how much opportunity and how much challenge there was in Ludlow," Grew said.
The personnel turnover was a challenge in its own right. Since starting, Grew has hired a new high school principal, three elementary school principals, a supervisor of buildings and grounds, a director of special education and a curriculum director.
Grew's experiences in Grafton are serving him well in a town that Grew says resembles his home.
"It reminds me a lot of Grafton when I first took over," said Grew. "It's a wonderful community, great people, very supportive of their schools. It's been going well. The place was in turmoil, but we've got everything calmed down. The reaction and the reception has been extremely positive."
And just like his endeavors in Grafton, Grew is not in interested in personal gratification, just progress for the educational system.
"I made very clear to them, that I'm not there to make a job for myself; I'm there to do a job," he said, adding that he is simply there to create path for district to follow under its future leadership.
"I'll just get out of the way and let that person take over. I'm not looking at it for the money. I'm just looking for the challenge and for something that will occupy me and keep me out of my wife's hair."
Grew is now plenty occupied, and happy to be doing what he loves once again.
