After a decade leading Newton North High School through one unprecedented time after another, Principal Henry Turner is bidding farewell.

Turner announced in a letter to Newton North families that he’d taken a job as the next superintendent in Reading, a role the Reading School Committee voted to appoint him to on Saturday.

“While nothing is official until a contract is completed, it is my expectation that I will begin this exciting new chapter on July 1,” Turner wrote. “This decision was not made lightly. Being Newton North’s principal has been a dream job, and I love every aspect of this amazing community.”

Turner, 47, is a Melrose native who started his career in education as a history teacher. He taught in Sherburne Falls and Lexington before becoming principal at Bedford High School, and in 2016 he was hired to lead Newton North.

In the time since, he’s focused on equity initiatives like providing laptops to students who need them, multi-level classroom teaching that puts students of various skill levels together, and more. Turner has also co-authored a book, “Change the Narrative: How to Foster an Antiracist Culture in Your School.”

Principal Henry Turner speaks at Newton North High School’s 2025 graduation ceremony on June 11. Photo by Bryan McGonigle

Turner’s tenure at Newton North has been shaped by outside forces: Racial unrest nationwide resulted in enhanced focus on diversity, equity and inclusion in Newton; a mainstream acceptance of gender identity led to new gender-affirming policies in Massachusetts and at NPS; and a global pandemic forced him to lead a high school with remote learning—and all the sobering mental health and learning loss statistics that came with it—for a year and a half.

All of those situations were met with vigorous debate, backlash and praise.

And last school year, there was citywide backlash against the multi-level learning initiative, because some students felt left behind and others felt unchallenged, while teachers felt like they hadn’t been trained to teach that way in the first place.

The rough ride has only made the trip sweeter for Turner, who remarked that the students at Newton North are “crushing it.”

“I always say it is the people inside this building that make this school an incredible place,” his letter continues. “Our diversity is our strength, and we are great because we can serve all kids. It has been the honor of my professional life to serve as your principal.”

Turner said he would be involved in the transition process as the district starts a search for a new principal.