Thomas A. Simon has been named director of student support services and Kimberly Roberts-Morandi director of curriculum, instruction and assessment.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city's new superintendent of schools is getting her team together for the start of the school year.

Barbara Malkas, attending her first meeting of the School Committee since stepping into her new position earlier this month, presented the committee with two new hires in two new positions.

Thomas A. Simon has been named director of student support services and Kimberly Roberts-Morandi director of curriculum, instruction and assessment. Simon's post is a modification of the special education administrator and Roberts-Morandi's position takes in several former job titles, including administrator of teaching and learning.

Malkas said the job descriptions for the directors are modeled on similar ones from other school districts. She had worked with both her new administrators when she was employed with the Pittsfield Public Schools and said she recommended them "without hesitation."

The committee unanimously approved the appointments, with members Karen Bond and Nicholas Fahey absent.

Also approved was Simon's contract of $90,000 a year for three years. Malkas said there would be a "performance rating for any consideration of salary advancements."

Simon is a former director of special education in the Berkshire Hills Regional School District and most recently program manager for Berkshire United Way's Positive Youth Development program. He also has been special education teacher, and was an elementary school principal, both at Morningside in Pittsfield and in the Southern Berkshire Regional School District. He is a graduate of Pittsfield High School and Westfield State University, holds a master's degree in education from Cambridge College, and is licensed as an administrator at both the school and district level. He lives in Pittsfield with his wife, Lori.

His new post is different from director of special education in that it will refocus efforts on student assistance prior to designating a specialized education plan.  

"It's really about putting more work into prevention and trying to put as much effort into general education curriculum and individualized supports as possible without the need to go to a designation," he told the committee. "Because oftentimes there are many factors that can contribute to a lack of progress and we want to exhaust all efforts."

Roberts-Morandi has been a data specialist with the state's Berkshire District and School Assistance Center since 2010. Prior to that, she was principal of the former Adams Memorial Middle School. She is an adjunct instructor with Massachusetts College of Liberal Art's Leadership Academy and a team leader with SchoolWorks, which provides consulting for underperforming schools. She holds a bachelor's and master's from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of New England. She lives in Stamford, Vt., with her husband, Thomas Morandi.

"I'm so excited to be a part of all the forward movement that the North Adams Public Schools have started," she said. She said she looked forward to using her knowledge from DSAC to do "deep level work." "I hope that my experience and my knowledge of the community and my lifelong residence in and around this area will be an asset.

"I'm thrilled to be able to work with a leader who's a visionary."

Simon said he believed that Malkas will be successful "because she knows how to assemble a team. It feels like a strong team here."

Mayor Richard Alcombright said both new hires will be "two great assets to an already wonderful team of administrators." He saw Malkas and Roberts-Morandi as being a one-two punch when it came to state connections over funding issues.

The School Committee also on Tuesday approved a one-year contract with the teacher's union that provides a 1.25 percent raise across the board.

The committee unanimously ratified the agreement, after Alcombright had to leave, during the afternoon meeting and after about a half-hour in executive session. Malkas read out changes from the current contract, which can be found here.

The agreement gives a 1.25 percent increase across all steps and stipends beginning Sept. 1; it is in effect until Aug. 31, 2017, or until another contract is signed. The North Adams Teachers Association and the school district will begin negotiating in September for a multi-year contract.

The modified contract includes direct deposit of wages and stipends; the removal of all references to the former Conte Middle School; beginning the school year no earlier than Aug. 25; reserving the fourth Tuesday of the month for union meetings (not scheduling district meetings); and adding gender identity under the anti-discrimination compliance.

"This memorandum also includes language for the development of a joint labor-management committee," said Malkas. That committee, which first met July 13 and will continue through the summer, will tackle such issues as teacher evaluation of colleagues; head teachers and team leaders; job descriptions; and the development of a district athletic director proposed by retired Superintendent James Montepare.

A contract settlement with the North Adams Paraprofessionals and a salary adjustment for the district's business manager were both tabled.

• Most Read

• Most Comments

• All News

• Blogroll

• Photos