School Committee adds two new district-wide administrators for next year

The School Committee held a special meeting this Wednesday to discuss hiring two new district-level positions for the next school year.

Superintendent Marisa Mendonsa described the two proposed positions to the board: an Assistant Superintendent for School Leadership and an Administrator of Student Engagement and Discipline.

The first position, the Assistant Superintendent for School Leadership, will directly supervise the district’s principals. They’ll be responsible for providing professional support through “supervision, coaching, evaluation, and professional development.” 

They will also lead district-wide teams and initiatives on topics like special education and community engagement, and will work with the district to ensure “consistent implementation of district policies” about school operations and safety.

Mendonsa said this position was inspired by a similar executive team position that previously existed in the district. She said it was also designed in the context of the recent selection of John Barnes as principal-in-residence for Waltham High, who will take over leadership of the school in the fall.

Mendonsa noted the Assistant Superintendent won’t supervise Barnes as Waltham High’s principal, since, as part of the Principal-in-Residence position, she’ll be working to support him directly over the next three years. At the suggestion of Mayor Jeannette McCarthy, the committee decided they should still be involved with the Waltham High principalship as a secondary supervisor, to continue supporting the school after the end of Barnes’ residence program.

Mendonsa said that the second position, the Administrator of Student Engagement and Discipline, is partially a response to the state Department of Education and Secondary Education’s recently updated suspension policies that require districts to implement “preventative measures” before removing students from schools. 

The role will be responsible for ensuring the district is compliant with federal, state, and local laws around student discipline and well-being. Mendonsa mentioned that the district will also be revising its code of conduct “over the next couple of years.”

She explained that this position would be district-wide, although for the position’s first year, it would focus on policies at Waltham High. She said they would also supervise the implementation of new restorative justice classrooms in some schools for students in the process of internal suspensions.

Board member Edmund Tarallo asked that the district require applicants to this position have previous experience and training surrounding restorative justice in schools. 

The committee agreed to change the wording of the job posting to look for administrators who had previously worked within restorative justice-based school programs.

The board voted unanimously to add these positions to the 2025–2026 school budget and provide funding for them drawn from the district’s contingency funds.

Mendonsa added, based on the district’s registration numbers for the upcoming school year, she does not project they will need to hire any additional unplanned-for staff members.