NBC News Overnight, the irreverent late-night 1983 news show which presaged techniques familiar to any fan of Jon Stewart, began its final broadcast with this intro from co-anchor Linda Ellerbee. "Republicans have reason to be elated tonight. The reason? They believe that they are eliminating something that has been a real political troublemaker to them," she said, and barely paused. "Unemployment."

Anyone who had watched the edgy, intelligent news show a few times understood that the final word in that sentence was not the one written nor spoken.

At tonight's school committee meeting, Republicans had reason to be elated, because they believed they were eliminating something that has been a real troublemaker. As chair Cynthia Perrotti put it, "The era of home-made cupcakes is coming to an end."

Anyone who has paid attention to education in Portsmouth will understand that the important business tonight was not the health committee edging closer to establishing standards for "non-food celebrations" in our classrooms.

The real story, albeit untold, was Supt. Susan Lusi's decision not to seek another term. And while we will all agree, in public, to accept the polite fiction that Dr. Lusi felt it was time to move on and pursue other challenges rather than renewing her contract when it expires at the end of June, no one who knows the words and music should be fooled.

Management changes were, after all, one of vice-chair Jonathan Harris's campaign promises.

I will miss the tremendous intelligence and energy Lusi brought to the job for these past few years. She stepped into a district in a fiscal quagmire, endured a Tent Meeting and Caruolo action, and managed the district into fiscal health. She made key hires that stabilized finances and facilities, among others. And she thought big: she created a local Basic Education Program when the state's was still incomplete, and on her own initiative, convened 100 members of the community to map out a strategic plan for the district. She fought -- and many of the budget sessions over the past years can only be characterized in such antagonistic terms -- for the students and the teachers, for the quality of Portsmouth's schools.

And she did it with a calm presence and grace under pressure that never cracked. If I had a staff of interns logging tape like the Daily Show, I would put together a montage of her saying, "With all due respect, Mr. Fitzmorris..."

Of course, I can't be objective. I began covering Portsmouth in September of 2006, and spent countless hours after meetings asking questions of Dr. Lusi. She was unfailingly helpful, patient, and candid. I worked with her on the Facilities Committee and the Future Search workshop. Throughout, I have found her to be a truly dedicated public servant and a fearless advocate for our kids.

Portsmouth is a better place because of her work, and we will miss her.

And because final words are always important, to close the circle, here's the way that last broadcast of Overnight ended, way back in 1983. Ellerbee had the outtro. "The final quote is from Mark Twain, discussing the young missionary who went out among the cannibals. Said Twain: 'They listened with the greatest of interest to everything he had to say. And then they ate him.'"

And so it goes.

Editorial note: Chair Cynthia Perrotti announced a call for interest in being on the search committee for Dr. Lusi's replacement. "Some big shoes to fill," said Perrotti. Anyone wishing to be considered should send a letter to cynthia.perrotti@gmail.com by Thursday, Jan. 20.