Remembering Jay Lord
Over winter break, our community learned of the passing of Jay Lord – one of the founders of the Center School, and a teacher, colleague, mentor, and steady presence to generations of students and families. Jay helped shape not only the early structure of the school, but its deeper spirit: a belief in children as thinkers, a trust in curiosity, and a commitment to care, observation, and thoughtful teaching.
There is no better way to remember Jay than to share stories. We invited reflections from those who taught alongside him, learned from him, and were shaped by being in community with him. What follows is a small gathering of those memories:
Kim Hake, a former student of Jay’s and now a Center School staff member and parent, offered this reflection:
“When I was in seventh grade, I had the good fortune to be one of Jay's journaling students. Each week, students wrote in their journals to a designated teacher, and each week, the teachers wrote back. It gave students a chance to share important things with a trusted adult, and it gave teachers a thoughtful way to communicate things to students that were better written than spoken.
I remember one entry that Jay wrote to me after observing a difficult interaction I'd had with another student. The interaction had made me feel angry, but I had laughed it off. Jay did not buy it, and he told me so in his next journal entry—gently, kindly, and with care. I hadn't considered that I could feel or express anger before. It wasn't polite. It wasn't what “good students” did, in my mind. But in his wisdom, he had recognized that anger was exactly what this “good student” needed permission to feel.
Jay taught me math and literature, and I remember a lot of those lessons and the fun we had dramatizing our reading and puzzling through meaty algebra problems. But the permission that he gave me to be a full human being was one of the most important lessons he could have ever offered. He didn't have to, but he did.
Jay taught at this school years ago, but his impact is still here. I was one of his students, and now I’m one of his colleagues in spirit. We all are, as we try every day to offer students the same encouragement, patience, and care he gave so freely. His legacy lives on in the way we teach, listen, and believe in kids.”
That sense of continuity – of Jay’s presence carrying forward across generations – is echoed by many in our community, including those who first knew him as children and now carry his influence into their own teaching. Vanessa Ricketts writes:
“Jay Lord has been a familiar face in Greenfield since I was a child. As a former Center School student and a current Center School teacher, I am beyond grateful for his invaluable contributions and dedication to GCS and The Northeast Foundation for Children. Jay made the world a better place.”
That continuity extended to teachers who joined the school after Jay had stepped out of the classroom. Current Center School teacher Sara Mathey reflects:
“In 2007, I joined the Greenfield Center School teaching staff. Even though Jay was no longer teaching at the school at that time, he was always available to give pedagogical advice when I reached out. As a newer teacher, I relished his incredible breadth of knowledge and generosity. Sometimes Jay would come for a visit at the Montague City Road campus, and he was always quick to flash a big smile and share a hug. Jay’s legacy in building this safe, welcoming space for children and educators to learn and grow is still here, and his spirit will continue to be a part of the Greenfield Center School forever.”
For many students, Jay’s presence was quiet but grounding. Nick Meyer remembers being an Upper more than thirty years ago:
"As far as the team of teachers went in that classroom, Jay was the quiet one. The observer. The grown-up in the room, making sure that all was well. His presence offered us students a stability and a grounding that resonated through the whole school.
I still have my eighth grade diploma, printed on office copier paper, framed in a thrift store frame hanging in my studio. The only signature that hasn’t faded with time is Jay’s. Still as clear as the day it was scrawled in ballpoint. Still quietly present, stable and grounded.”
Others remember the way Jay taught confidence alongside content. Erin Maclachlan shares:
“My strongest memory of Jay Lord is during all-school meeting when he taught us how to speak in public without seeming nervous. He shared that his trick when nervous was to keep his hands behind his back, so he could fidget without giving it away.
He was a wonderful mix of serious and knowledgeable and silly and relatable that really made an impression as a young kid.”
Jay’s commitment to curiosity and trust stayed with students long after they left his classroom. Sara Curtis recalls him as a math teacher who made numbers feel alive through his own fascination and wonder:
“He was this serious but gentle presence who was so regularly awe-struck by the world and incredibly committed to nurturing curiosity and analysis in us kids. He reminded me to be extra curious, especially about things that felt unknown to me. Why why why?! He pushed us to dig deeper, to just observe and see what that process of observation revealed to us.
About a decade ago, I reconnected with Jay. He asked me to help him with an audio project for Just Roots. I was just listening to some old recordings of his voice. Here's one of the things he said:
‘Another word that's really important to use is trust. And that we trust our kids. We trust our kids to be thinkers and that they begin to trust their evidence and their instincts. And that trust, I think, is incredibly important. And once we can give that trust to children, then they can invest in their own learning. And once they invest in their own learning....they've got it.’
Colleagues remember his perceptiveness and care. Jane Stephenson recalls that “Jay really liked to sit down with other people and puzzle through a problem together.” Beth Gildin Watrous writes:
“My strongest memory of Jay is about his work with Uppers facing emotional and/or academic challenges. He was very perceptive about the ways an individual’s character, mindset, and working style strengths could support their success in high school and beyond.”
And Terry Kayne remembers Jay’s energy and vision in the school’s early days:
“When I think about Jay the word indefatigable stands out. He was a man with so many ideas and the energy to tackle them. Jay helped us through many difficult times in the early days and was a beacon to middle schoolers. Plus he built the lofts!”
Jay Lord helped build this school in every sense – its physical spaces, its pedagogy, and its enduring belief in children. Though he is no longer with us, his influence remains deeply woven into the life of the Center School.
For those who would like to spend more time remembering Jay and his impact beyond these memories, we invite you to read two additional reflections. Former student and alumnus Misha Collins wrote a beautiful piece honoring Jay that appeared recently in the Greenfield Recorder, and Jay’s obituary offers a fuller picture of his life, work, and the many communities he shaped.
• Misha Collins: What Jay Lord Taught
• Jay Lord’s Obituary
We hold Jay’s family and loved ones in our hearts, and we are grateful to all who shared their memories. Jay’s impact is still here, and it always will be.
Marlynn Clayton, Ruth Charney, and Jay Lord at the Center School’s Bernardston Road campus, 2023.