Superintendent

Dr. Julie Hackett, Superintendent of Lexington Public Schools

Dr. Julie Hackett became the Superintendent of the Lexington Public Schools on July 1, 2018. With over 30 years of dedication to education, she brings extensive experience to her role. Prior to joining Lexington, she served as the Superintendent of the Taunton Public Schools for nearly a decade, where she was a strong advocate for at-risk youth. During her tenure, she collaborated closely with her team to create an inclusive school community and to remove barriers to student learning. These efforts led to the highest graduation rates and the lowest dropout rates in the district's history.

In 2008, Julie served as the Deputy Superintendent for Teaching and Learning in the Public Schools of Brookline, where she played a key role in developing and implementing a district strategic plan focused on equity. She began her career in Maine 25 years ago, working as a teacher, dean of students, principal, and curriculum director. Julie is a National Writing Project fellow and was appointed to Governor Angus King's Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) Task Force, which was the largest 1:1 laptop initiative of its kind at the time.  

 In 2009, Taunton recruited Julie to serve as the Superintendent of Schools in their diverse district, which serves 8,200 students across 16 schools. Throughout her career, she has overseen ten school construction projects. Julie is recognized for her commitment to inclusive education and has experience in curriculum development, capital and strategic planning, team-building, and solving complex problems through collaboration.

Dr. Hackett was elected by her fellow superintendents to serve as the President of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents. In 2018, she was honored as the Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year. Additionally, she was the first superintendent to receive the Community Partnership Award from the Federation of Children with Special Needs in 2015. Her district also won the Award for Operations and Efficiency in 2012 from the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials.

Julie has been a regular presenter at conferences throughout her professional career and has published two books: "Strategic Reading: Guiding Students to Lifelong Literacy, 6-12" (Heinemann, 2001) and "Building Relationships, Yielding Results: How Superintendents Can Work with School Boards to Build Collaborative Teams" (Harvard Education Press, 2015). She holds a bachelor's, a master's, and a doctoral degree from the University of Maine.