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RUFUS B. SHORTER Is...MAN IN THE MIDDLE

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Rufus B. Shorter, Superintendent of the Martha's Vineyard Public Schools, stands tall in the middle of a lovely island with some tough school issues such as school district regionalization and curriculum co-ordination ahead of him.

Mr. Shorter became the Island's top administrator July 1, 1976, after a successful career in the New York City school system. Among the many jobs that he held in that system were Assistant Administrative Director and Acting Director of Human Relations, Director of Community Education Center, Acting Executive Director of Personnel and Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services in the Division of Special Education. In his last three years of service with the New York City Board of Education, Shorter was frequently utilized by the Board to temporarily administer the educational affairs of troubled Community School Districts which were unable to govern themselves. On two occasions he was assigned to District One on the Lower East Side and on another to Central Harlem's District Five.

The procedure which resulted in Shorter's selection as Superintendent of the Martha's Vineyard Schools was unusual in that the leading candidates, from a field of 83, were intensively interviewed twice by the School Committee, as well as panels of teachers, high school students and community leaders.

The Vineyard school system is unique in that there are eight school committees; one in each of the six towns of Chilmark, Gay Head, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and West Tisbury; a Regional High School District Committee and a Superintendency Union School Committee. The Union School Committee and Shorter are presently working to unify the various school districts into one school district with a single school committee. A vote is anticipated on this issue at the several town meetings in the spring of 1978.

Shorter's accomplishments in his new post to date include: closing the schools early in June by extending the school day, to enable high school students to compete for summer jobs, initiating a Master's degree program on the Island for teachers in collaboration with Lesley College Graduate School of Education and the Nathan Mayhew Seminars, a uniform school day for the elementary schools from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., a useful and uniform system of teacher evaluation and a new three year contract with the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School Educators' Association. The work of curriculum co-ordination continues apace and is expected to be completed by June, 1979. There is also in place a very successful Alternative School Program for disaffected high school age youth.

In addition to his administrative duties and attendance at school meetings, Mr. Shorter has become a vital part of the community. He is a member of the Martha's Vineyard Hospital Corporation, a member of the Board of Directors of Martha's Vineyard Community Services, and Chairman of the Youth Center Operating Committee.

Martha's Vineyard is an Island of great natural beauty, spacious beaches and many tennis courts. Mr. Shorter is an avid tennis player and has been active in the Oak Bluffs Tennis Association and the Sandpiper Tennis Club.

Shorter is a graduate of Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, with a major in History and Political Science as well as Teachers' College, Columbia University, with an M.A. in the Teaching of History. He also holds a 6th year certificate in School Administration and Supervision from New York University.

He and his wife, Vera, the former Equal Employment Opportunity for Manhattan District, IRS, live in a beachfront house on Highland Avenue, facing the Lagoon in Vineyard Haven.

They are the parents of Beth Shorter Woodin, who dances with the Alvin Ailey Theatre Company, and Lynn Shorter, who is a writer.

Transcription Notes:
image - photo of RUFUS B. SHORTER