PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee has tapped internal applicants for the interim assistant superintendent and special education director.

On Wednesday, Nicole Shepardson was appointed interim assistant superintendent of instruction, assessment, and educational engagement, and Melissa Brites was appointed the interim special education director.

"I think that we are very fortunate to have two in-house candidates for two positions that are widely respected by many," Vice Chair Daniel Elias said

"I think your combined effort, your combined years of service, will be a great asset to the new superintendent, and I want to thank you both for stepping up."

Committee member William Garrity added that the new interim superintendent, Latifah Phillips, will have a "very strong" cabinet.

"I am ready to lead at the district level," Shepardson told the committee.

"I bring a deep knowledge of Pittsfield Public Schools and a proven track record of instructional leadership. I have a relentless commitment to student success, and I want to support our district moving forward. I am eager to help lead the work with clarity, collaboration, and care."

Both are one-year positions and were recommended by Superintendent Joseph Curtis, who will step down from his position on July 1 after 30 years with the district. The committee also approved a one-year contract for Phillips that "is largely the same contract that Mr. Curtis has had," Chair William Cameron explained.

Shepardson has worked for the district for the past 24 years in various roles, including as principal of Williams Elementary School and, most recently, Morningside Community School.

Mayor Peter Marchetti said she has a unique set of experiences with leading both schools, explaining, "I think you've seen different degrees of demographics in our school system and different needs." He asked her if this learning experience would be applied to the assistant superintendent position.

For her, it has been an "incredible" journey seeing two very different buildings. She is proud of the work done on implicit bias and culturally responsive teaching at Williams, as it is "equally important in a building that has less diversity."

At Morningside, they are doing the same work while aiming to raise student achievement and sustain staff.

"When I arrived at Williams, there were strong structures in place, but we still did really rigorous work. So we strengthened those systems and we collaborated. We were continuous learners," Shepardson said.

"I see myself as a continuous learner, and I was very much involved in that process, and I believe in collective teacher efficacy, so that becomes contagious when we're all working together and we all believe that we can do the work to move students forward. And I feel as though that is what really lifted the work that we did at Williams. That same thing is happening at Morningside."

Brites has worked for PPS since 1997 in a wide range of roles, most recently as the director of alternative education, and her experience is grounded in building inclusive programming, strengthening transition services for students ages 18 to 22, and improving compliance and instructional practice while expanding restorative supports in the district.

"I know this district well," she said.

"I've invested my career here because I truly believe in our mission and in the potential of our students."

She said the district needs to ensure that students with disabilities are seen, supported, and empowered.

"Increasing a sense of belonging for our students with disabilities will have a positive impact on things like attendance, behavior, and academic progress," Brites said.

"And I know that in our district, we are really paying attention to those big buckets for our special education students. We need to work on increasing their attendance, and we need to work on increasing their social skills and their access to curriculum. When we are paying attention to them and we are increasing their sense of belonging, those things, I think, will naturally increase, but certainly, it would be a focus of mine."

Phillips was most recently the chief equity and engagement officer for the Lowell Public Schools and has prior experience as the director of Native education for the state of Washington's Department of Education and the assistant secretary of Indian education in the New Mexico Public Education Department.

It was reported that the current deputy superintendent, Matthew Bishop, indicated that he wanted to return to his post as Taconic High School principal. He had been tapped for the interim position last July.

"And given the fact that we have an interim superintendent who does not have experience working in this district, it seems essential that we have someone in the position that Dr. Shepardson is here for tonight who is well-experienced," Cameron explained.

He also highlighted that the district will likely have four principal positions that will have to be filled before September at Pittsfield High School, Herberg Middle School, Egremont Elementary School, and Morningside.


 

• Most Read

• Most Comments

• All News

• Blogroll

• Photos