Nantucket Public Schools Rename Several Administrative Positions, Adding New Responsibilities

The Nantucket Public Schools (NPS) are renaming three administrative positions as part of a restructuring effort to better address the district's problems. The move will not result in any new personnel being hired, but the three administrators will take on increased responsibilities.

The School Committee voted to adopt the title changes at a meeting on Friday, but contract negotiations are required before the administrators take on their new roles. The School Committee must then vote again to ratify the new contracts. The new contracts are expected to include pay raises to reflect the increased responsibilities.

Assuming the negotiations are successful and the School Committee votes to ratify the contracts, Dr. Amanda Bardsley’s title will change from Curriculum Director of STEM to Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. Mellisa Devitt’s title will change from Curriculum Director of Humanities to Assistant Superintendent of Academic Operations. Both of these changes were passed unanimously by the School Committee.

Dr. Debra Gately’s title will also change from Director of Special Services to Executive Director of Special Services, a more direct title bump that Superintendent Elizabeth Hallett suggested was intended in part to reflect the fact that Gately is the only administrator aside from Hallett who directly supervises multiple other administrators. Gately’s title change passed 4-1, with School Committee member Shantaw Bloise-Murphy in opposition. Bloise-Murphy declined to give a reason for her opposition.

Hallett said that the title changes better reflect the duties Bardsley, Devitt, and Gately will be expected to perform. School Committee members also emphasized the importance of redundancy and support for Hallett as NPS grows.

Devitt’s position will require her to provide “visionary, strategic, and operational leadership to ensure excellence and equity across all PreK-12 academic programs,” according to a job description made available by NPS. The description goes on to say that “this role oversees curriculum, instruction, and assessment in humanities, manages systems for professional learning and educator support, and ensures alignment across district-wide initiatives including digital literacy, applied learning, and safety/security. This position plays a key leadership role in shaping and supporting a coherent academic program rooted in rigorous standards, culturally responsive practices, and continuous improvement.”

Bardsley’s job description, similar to Devitt’s, also mentions visionary and strategic direction. “This leader ensures alignment with state standards, promotes instructional excellence, and fosters innovative and equitable learning opportunities for all students. The Assistant Superintendent collaborates with district and school leaders to design professional learning, oversee curriculum adoptions, support data-driven decision making, and advance the district’s mission of academic achievement, inclusion and continuous improvement,” the description reads in part.