Eric Byrne has been picked by the Darien Board of Education as the new, non-interim Darien superintendent schools. Byrne has been serving as interim superintendent for the past four months.
From Darien Public Schools website
Darien Superintendent of Schools Eric Byrne
In a news release Tuesday evening from the Board of Education, Byrne said he is honored to have been picked: “In my time here, I have been inspired by the dedication of our educators, the curiosity and talent of our students, and the steadfast support of our families and community,”
Jill McCammon, chair of the Darien board, said:
“Dr. Byrne has been an exceptional interim superintendent. His four months of active leadership made it abundantly clear that he is the ideal person for this role: a visionary collaborator who has already built strong relationships with our educators and families. He is the clear choice to maintain Darien’s excellence and champion continuous innovation.
“We heard from many parents, staff, and students that they value stability, integrity, and vision in our next superintendent,” McCammon said. Dr. Byrne embodies all of these qualities. We look forward to continuing our work together in support of our students and schools.”
On July 1, four months ago, Byrne became interim superintendent of Darien schools when then-Superintendent Alan Addley resigned. The search for a new superintendent had been planned to result in an appointment by July 1, 2026.
“The Darien Board of Education hired School Leadership LLC to spearhead the search and develop specifications for their ideal candidate,” the announcement said. “While the board had planned to use those specifications to conduct a full national search, significant community input and support made it clear that the exemplary leader they were seeking was already in Darien.
Dr. Martin Brooks of School Leadership said:
“The Board of Education sought extensive feedback from the community through focus groups, interviews and an online survey. Based on the robust responses we received, if Dr. Byrne hadn’t already been serving as the interim superintendent, he would have been at the top of our recruitment list.
“He is an exceptional leader with a strong record of success in high performing districts. We see Dr. Byrne and the Darien Public Schools as a wonderful match.”
Byrne’s Experience
Byrne served since 2017 as superintendent of the Rye City School District in New York state. While at the Rye City School District, the announcement said, Byrne “advanced academic excellence, championed student well-being, and strengthened community partnerships.”
Byrne holds an Ed.D. in educational leadership and administration from Fordham University and began his career as a high school science teacher in the New York City public schools. Byrne has also served as assistant principal, elementary school principal, and assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
The board’s announcement said those were “experiences that have shaped his belief that schools must nurture critical thinkers, effective communicators, enthusiastic collaborators, creative problem solvers and caring individuals.”
Meet Byrne at a “Fireside Chat’ on Nov. 12
Byrne will be holding his first “fireside chat” at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 12 at Holmes School. The Board of Education and Dr. Byrne invite you to hear directly from him about his vision for the future of the Darien Public Schools.
The announcement said the board thanked the Darien community “for its engagement throughout the search and transition process.”