After serving the Jefferson community for 10 years, Mark Harrington, Jefferson’s School Resource Officer (SRO), will retire at the end of the school year.

Harrington greatly enjoys working as an SRO due to the fact that his responsibilities at Jefferson are unique.

“At TJ, I’m responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the school, but I also help to steer students back in the right direction if they have fouled the rules.” Harrington said. “Students sometimes make mistakes that can have devastating consequences, so it is important to help them correct their mistakes before resorting to punishment such as expulsion.”

Harrington plans to join the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, a nonprofit research institute that focuses on science, technology and security issues at the national level.

In addition, Harrington will continue teaching at George Mason University’s Department of Criminology, Law and Society, a position he has held since he joined Jefferson in the 2002-2003 school year.

Harrington acknowledges that there are some issues that still need to be resolved, such as the recent thefts, but he will always remember the positive experiences from working at Jefferson.

“I will miss the relaxed environment at TJ,” Harrington said. “I’ve always liked how the students at TJ trust each other and how the administration trusts the students.”