Salem Public Schools Announces Finalists for Superintendent of Schools
Three candidates selected for next round of hiring process
Today, Salem Public Schools announced three finalists for the position of Superintendent of Schools. Finalists were recommended by a Screening Committee made up of 15 community members, parents, educators, students, school administrators, and School Committee members.
The position first became available in February when former Superintendent Steve Zrike was announced as Massachusetts’ next Secretary of Education. Since his departure in late March, Deputy Superintendent Kate Carbone has served as Interim Superintendent.
The three finalists are:
Dr. Allen has served as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Wellesley Public Schools since 2022. Prior to that, he was the World Language and English Language Learner Coordinator for Andover Public Schools. Dr. Allen holds a Ph.D. in Spanish American Literature from Purdue University, an M.A. in Latin American Studies from Purdue University, and a B.A. in Education from Centro de Estudios Universitarios de Monterrey.
Andrew Bott has been the Head of School for Brighton High School since 2020, and served as Superintendent of Brookline Public Schools from 2016-2019. Earlier in his career, he served as Principal of the W.H. Lincoln School in Brookline, and Principal of the Orchard Gardens K-8 School in Roxbury. He holds an M.Ed. in Administration Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University and a B.A. in Sociology from Rice University.
Dr. Welch has been a Regional School Superintendent/Associate Superintendent for Boston Public Schools since 2015, and served as the Academic Superintendent for the district’s Alternative Schools Network from 2018-2019. Prior to that, he was the founding Principal of Nava College Preparatory High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. He holds an Ed.D. from Boston College’s Professional School Administrator Program, an M.A. in Education from UCLA, and a B.A. in Economics and Environmental Studies from Occidental College.
Each finalist will participate in two visits to Salem during the month of June. The first visit will include school tours, meetings with students, educators, and community stakeholders, as well as a public forum. Finalists will then return on a second date for a formal interview with the School Committee.Community members interested in attending a public forum or School Committee interview are encouraged to visit www.salemk12.org/search for schedules, meeting details, and updates as they become available.
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts, a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens through which we view our work. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff unconditionally serves each of our 4,000 students across 11 schools regardless of ability or language.
