Marblehead Public Schools Director of Student Services Paula Donnelly and Associate Director Emily Dean have resigned from their positions, interim Superintendent Theresa McGuinness announced in an email sent to families Monday.
Their resignations come after weeks of backlash and criticism from the Marblehead Education Association, which had repeatedly called for their removal after McGuinness placed four educators on leave at Glover Elementary School due to an incident involving the physical restraint of one or more dysregulated students.
“In response to the recent inquiries we have received regarding the Marblehead Public Schools’ Student Services Department, we want to update the Marblehead Public School Community to let you know that the district, Dr. Paula Donnelly, and Ms. Emily Dean have mutually agreed to end their employment relationship,” the statement read. “As such, the district will begin a search process for an interim director of student services, immediately.”
On Dec. 14, the School Committee announced that it had initiated a third-party investigation into the district’s student support process. McGuinness, in a statement, said that she would “prioritize and implement” any recommendations that came from the investigation, including changes to district leadership.
At the beginning of the investigation, McGuinness said that she did not believe there was reason to reprimand or remove Donnelly and Dean, despite the MEA’s announcement that 97% of its members voted that they had no confidence in the leadership of the Student Services Department. It is unclear whether findings from the investigation led to the resignations of Donnelly and Dean.
At a Dec. 21 School Committee meeting, dozens of teachers and other community members packed Marblehead High School’s library in support of educators who said they have been forced to handle situations involving dysregulated students without adequate resources or proper training.
Those educators aired their grievances to the School Committee and McGuinness. Some told stories of suffering physical harm, while others said they had been attempting to get their students the social and emotional paraprofessional support they needed for months without success.
Nearly all pointed to Donnelly and Dean as the root cause of the issues, claiming that in almost every instance, they had told them to ignore the situations and continue teaching.
In her email to families, McGuinness laid out the process going forward in order to make sure students and staff receive adequate support.
“In order to ensure that our students receive their necessary support and services, both Dr. Donnelly and Ms. Dean have agreed to assist the superintendent in any necessary support during the transition,” McGuinness said.
McGuinness also announced that she is setting up a Student Services Steering Committee, which will exist specifically to “leverage the expertise of faculty, administration, and staff for planning purposes” to smooth the transition to an interim director of student services.
The steering committee will meet weekly starting on Jan. 9, and will be co-chaired by McGuinness and Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Julia Ferreira.
“Principals, working closely with their team chairs, will continue as the primary contact for their student, staff, and parent community inquiries or needs,” McGuinness said.
This month, two districtwide board certified behavior analysts, Catherine Woods and Emily Boutin, will join Marblehead Public Schools. Woods will join Brown Elementary School while Boutin will work out of Glover School.
In a statement, the MEA responded to the district changes made by McGuinness.
“The Marblehead Education Association is pleased that two behavior analysts (BCBAs) have joined the staff and that the district formed a Student Services Steering Committee to address some of the concerns that educators have been raising about safety and learning conditions in our schools,” the statement read. “These issues affect every student and staff member.”
Additionally, McGuinness announced that Dan Richards will serve as the interim principal at Glover School, replacing acting Principal Matt Fox. Fox is filling in for Principal Hope Doran, who is on medical leave. Doran went on medical leave on Dec. 4 and the duration of her leave is currently undefined. Richards will begin working as the interim principal on Thursday.
A job posting will be up “immediately” for an interim assistant principal at Marblehead High School, according to the statement.
McGuinness thanked Donnelly and Dean for their work in the district.
“We appreciate Dr. Donnelly’s and Ms. Dean’s collective service and the district wishes them well as they pursue other opportunities in the field of education,” McGuinness said.
The MEA also said in the statement that its members are committed to working with the entire MPS community to “create the schools and learning conditions our students and staff deserve,” while emphasizing that it still wants to see actions taken under the previous leadership of Student Services fixed.
“As leadership changes are being made in the Student Services Department, it is imperative to correct some of the missteps of the previous leadership team. Specifically, MEA members unfairly placed on administrative leave by former administrators must be returned to their positions immediately. Undoing that injustice will be an important step toward improving the culture and climate in our schools and will help establish trust as we move forward collaboratively to meet the needs of all of our students,” the statement read.