WATCH | Superintendent Dr. Tommy Welch’s 2026 Convocation Address

As someone new to Salem, with roots in California, let me take you back to one of my favorite television characters.

For those of you old enough to remember Sanford and Son, and for everyone else, Google it later, the main character was Fred G. Sanford, played by comedian Redd Fox.

One of the running jokes was that Fred would proudly introduce himself as:

“Fred G. Sanford!”

And depending on the moment, the G would stand for something different.

Genius. Greatness. “Gotta go!“

Whatever word Fred needed in that moment, he embraced it.

So this morning, I am borrowing a little bit from Fred Sanford.

The name on my birth certificate is Thomas Michael Welch, Jr. I was named after my father, Tom, but everyone has always called me Tommy.

So officially, I am Thomas M. Welch.

But today, standing before nearly 1,000 of you for the first time as Superintendent of Salem Public Schools, I want to introduce myself differently.

Today, I am Tommy G. Welch.

And, a little like Sesame Street, the letter of the day is G.

This morning, the G stands for three things:

Grateful. Grace. And Ganas.

Those three words tell you a lot about who I am, and how I intend to serve alongside all of you.

G Is for Grateful. First, I am deeply grateful.

I am grateful to our School Committee for giving me this opportunity and placing their confidence in me to lead Salem Public Schools.

I understand what I have inherited.

I am not arriving in Salem to start something from scratch. Dr. Steve Zrike, the School Committee, our educators, families, students, and so many people in this room have built a strong foundation.

My responsibility is to honor that work, build upon it, and help us write the next chapter together.

But most of all this morning, I am grateful for you.

During my first few weeks in Salem, I have been doing a lot of listening… meeting with principals, School Committee members, central office teams, parents, students, and community members.

Everywhere I have gone, people have welcomed me with incredible generosity.

And a common theme throughout these conversations is that they have talked to me about you: the teachers who stay late, the paraprofessionals who know which child needs encouragement, the front office administrators who somehow know everything happening in the building before anyone else does…

And all of the people whose work gives our students a chance to thrive.

And as I begin this work, I know that the strongest school districts are built when educators, school leaders, district leaders, families, and community partners see themselves as partners in something larger than any one of us.

The superintendent may have a visible job.

But I know something very important:

The most important work in Salem Public Schools does not happen in the superintendent’s office.

It happens where you are.

In classrooms. On buses. In cafeterias. In hallways. On playgrounds and athletic fields. In the theater. In the music classrooms.

It happens in thousands of small interactions between adults and young people every day.

And I know the power of one of those interactions because my own career began with one.

It was 1999.

I had recently graduated from college and was working a mind-numbing job.

I come from a family of public school educators. So, I thought I might want to become a teacher.

There was just one problem.

I had absolutely no idea how to become one.

I did not understand credentialing, the application process, or how to navigate a huge system like Los Angeles Unified School District.

And I promise you, I was not sitting there with a carefully constructed 27-year career plan that ended with:

“Someday I will become superintendent of Salem Public Schools.”

Not even close.

Then, by chance, I went to a recruiting fair at Occidental College and met an LAUSD recruiter named George Hernandez.

George could have handed me a brochure and sent me on my way.

Instead, he took an interest in me.

He explained the process. He helped me with the application. He connected me to LAUSD’s two-year emergency credential and teacher induction pathway.

But most importantly:

George Hernandez helped me see a door that I did not know how to open on my own.

There are moments in our lives when someone sees a possibility in us that we cannot quite see in ourselves yet.

George Hernandez was one of those people for me.

I became a teacher.

Then my principal, Mr. Robert Cordova, saw something in me. He gave me opportunities to lead and encouraged me to keep learning.

One opportunity led to another.

I earned my master’s degree at UCLA, became a principal, opened a middle school and later a high school. Eventually my career brought my family and me across the country to Boston and district leadership.

And now…

here I am with all of you.

None of that was on my career map in 1999.

My career started because someone opened a door.

It grew because people invested in me and sometimes saw something in me before I saw it in myself.

That’s why Empowering Educators matters so much to me.

Somewhere in this Fieldhouse is a paraprofessional or a front office administrator who could become an extraordinary teacher.

There is a teacher here who could become an instructional coach or principal.

And who knows? There may even be a future superintendent sitting somewhere in these seats.

Our job is to help people see those possibilities.

Because belonging creates opportunity not only for our Salem students, but for our adults, too.

G Is for Grace

The second G is Grace.

I intend to lead our organization with grace.

For me, that means listening before speaking and remembering that behind every disagreement, email, data point, and problem are human beings.

It also means being willing to say:

“I got that wrong.”

“I need to learn more.”

“Help me understand.”

And occasionally:

“I’m sorry.”

Those are not signs of weak leadership.

They are signs of confident leadership.

But let me be clear:

Grace doesn’t mean that we lower our aspirations for ourselves or our students.

It does not mean avoiding difficult conversations.

We will hold ourselves collectively responsible for getting better for our students.

I will ask hard questions.

You should ask hard questions of me.

There will be moments when we are not exactly on the same page and things we try that do not work.

When that happens, we will learn, adjust, own our mistakes, and keep moving forward.

We can be kind and courageous.

We can extend grace while pursuing excellence together.

And through all of it, we will keep our eyes on the prize:

Our students.

Their learning.

Their belonging.

Their opportunities.

Their futures.

Our motto in Salem is more than a slogan:

Where Belonging Leads to Opportunity.

I love those words because there is an important sequence in them.

First comes belonging.

Then comes opportunity.

A child who feels seen, known, and believes, “There is a place for me here,” is far more likely to take a risk, ask for help, and dream bigger.

That is what we are building.

G Is for Ganas

And finally, my third G:

Ganas.

There is no perfect one-word English translation for ganas.

It can mean desire. Eagerness. Drive.

But the way I understand it, ganas is what happens when passion meets determination.

It’s heart.

It’s that feeling that says:

We are going to find a way.

I have ganas for this work.

I have ganas for Salem.

And I am all in for the students, families, educators, and community of Salem Public Schools.

Through the previous strategic plan, we have built strong building blocks:

Elevating Learning.

Empowering Educators.

Centering Belonging.

Strengthening Our Foundation.

But strategies alone do not transform school systems.

People do. You do. We do.

A strategic plan does not greet a nervous kindergartner and their teary-eyed parent on the first day of school.

You do. We do as a grade-level team.

A Portrait of a Graduate does not convince a teenager who is thinking about giving up or that their future doesn’t still matter.

You do. We do this as a school community.

A district initiative does not notice when a student in the back of the classroom has stopped raising their hand.

You do. We do this as a team.

The future of Salem Public Schools is sitting right here in this Fieldhouse.

Before the year gets busy…

Before the emails start multiplying…

Before the meetings fill our calendars…

I want us to remember why we are here.

Somewhere in Salem this year, a child will discover something they are good at because one of you notices it.

A student who does not yet believe they belong will begin believing it because one of you makes room for them.

And somewhere in this district, a young educator may need their own George Hernandez.

They may need someone to say:

“I see something in you.”

“Have you thought about teaching?”

“Have you considered leadership?”

“Let me show you how.”

Those words can change a life.

I know.

They changed mine.

So as we begin this year together, bring your gratitude.

Lead and work with grace.

And bring your ganas.

Bring your energy. Bring your ideas. Bring your heart.

Bring the passion that drove you to this wonderful, messy, rewarding, challenging, beautiful profession in the first place.

And when the work challenges us, because it will, remember that none of us has to do it alone..

We are a team.

We are a community.

We are Salem Public Schools.

Twenty-seven years ago, I walked into a recruiting fair by chance.

One person opened a door for me.

I have spent the rest of my career walking through doors, and trying to hold them open for other people.

Now I have the tremendous privilege of walking through this next door with all of you.

I am grateful.

I will lead with grace.

And I promise you…

I have plenty of ganas.

So for Convocation 2026, even though my middle name is Michael, you can call me:

Tommy G. Welch.

And since Fred Sanford was allowed to change what the G stood for whenever the moment called for it…

I think we have room for one more G this morning.

GO.

Let’s goooooooo, Salem!

Let’s make 2026–27 an incredible year for our students, our families, and for one another.

Thank you.

And welcome back, Salem Public Schools!