PORTSMOUTH — He has been with the district since 2014, but starting Jan. 18, Thomas Kenworthy is taking over the reins as the Portsmouth School Department’s newest superintendent.

From his thoughts on how education has changed to his favorite period of history, Mr. Kenworthy, who’s been the assistant superintendent for more than five years, gave the Portsmouth Times a little insight into who he is both inside and outside the schools.

What inspired you to pursue a career in education? I think something that people are surprised to learn about me, given where I have ended up in life, is that neither of my parents were able to finish high school. They both had their reasons, too long to get into here, but they did not have easy lives. Although I learned so much from them about hard work and other life lessons, education and schooling were not their forte. For me, school was always a safe haven because of the teachers and caring adults I had along the way that truly impacted my life. 

You started out first as a social studies teacher. What's your favorite period of history to teach? I really do love all types and periods of history. I could get consumed in reading just about anything related to history. The lessons we can take from the study of history are critical both to us as individuals and to our society. If I had to pick one period, and the one that first sparked my love of history, it would be the early American colonial period through the Civil War. So many inspirational stories and lessons there.

How did your experience in the Marine Corps help shape your leadership style? Military experience, and certainly the Marine Corps, provides one with so many valuable lessons. Specifically related to leadership, I think what becomes apparent to you, starting at the lowest ranks, is the impact of having an exceptional versus a mediocre leader. Like anywhere in life, in the military, you get examples and experiences with both. An exceptional leader has to be both knowledgeable and inspiring and has the ability to help people achieve goals they would otherwise not be able to reach on their own. Those are the types of lessons that have shaped my leadership style and that is the type of leader I intend to be for Portsmouth. 

How have Portsmouth schools changed since you first came on as assistant superintendent in 2014? On the academic side, the levels of accountability we are held to as a school or district have increased in both rigor and expectations. Without a doubt that trickles down to the student level. And then there is the impact of the social and emotional side. Those are conversations we were maybe not explicitly having, anywhere in education really, in 2014. Today they happen on a daily basis. What we realize now is that you can't have positive outcomes for students in one area without the other.  

Is it challenging taking over as superintendent halfway through the school year? It will certainly present some challenges, but really I think you could say the same about any point in the school year. Having experience in and knowledge of the district and how everything operates should help to alleviate most of those challenges.  

If you could be known for one thing during your tenure as superintendent, what would you want it to be? That we have the best possible outcomes for students but are ultimately Portsmouth is a place where students thrive, staff love their jobs, and parents and community members are proud of our school system.

What is the best part about working in education? Most challenging? The best part, without a doubt, is the impact that you get to have on the lives of young people. Students are in our care for their most formative years. Outside of their homes, they will spend the most time during those years with us. What we do as educators can and does make a difference. The most challenging aspect is trying to do all of that in an ever-changing world and with limited resources. Schools are a microcosm of our society at large. It's not an easy time to be a young person today. We cannot lose sight of that. 

What are some of your interests outside of education? Spending quality time with family and friends is important to me. This job, any job in education really, can consume you if you let it. While it will require a great deal of my time and attention you have to find ways to balance that with down time as well. And of course, I should find more time to exercise!