By Holly Camero — Correspondent
Like the students who fill her classrooms and hallways, Shelley Chin is starting the school year eager to learn.
In her new role as interim deputy superintendent for the Concord-Carlisle Area School District, Chin will focus on curriculum, ensuring students are learning the material and receiving academic support when needed, and ensuring educators receive mentorship and professional development.
To do this, she plans to spend a lot of time in schools and classrooms, “listening, observing” and asking questions to get to know the district.
A common philosophy
Chin grew up in Brookline and has spent his entire career working with children, most recently working in the central office for Waltham Public Schools.
She said she jumped at the opportunity to work in the Concord-Carlisle School District because the district's vision for student learning aligned with her own philosophy.
She said district officials want students to “take responsibility for their own learning” and realize it's important for their future.
“It's really about collaboration, and while the teacher is the facilitator, the students can really take that learning and work with their peers to develop projects and do advanced work,” Chin said.
“It's especially important now with the high-tech social media boom that's impacting young people in ways we can't even imagine, so we have to be just as agile and adapt to these rapid changes,” Chin said.
“This will be a year of a lot of learning… and I'm no expert,” she said. “What's really going to be important is evaluation and observation and then hopefully coming up with a clear idea of where the work should go with my colleagues over the next few years.”
Focus on academic integrity
Chin, an adjunct professor at Framingham State University, recently taught an introductory class on educational equity.
“Equity is a buzzword right now,” she says, “but it's always been something I care deeply about, even if I couldn't articulate it.” She says that today's culture and climate requires rethinking traditional teaching methods to make information more accessible. “It's not a one-size-fits-all approach.”
Concord Carlisle has “great strengths [and a] “It's high-achieving and a very strong instructional approach,” and the director of equity and inclusion is a key leader across the district, Chin said.
“I wanted to dig a little deeper into the data and see how different student groups [are] She said “performance” measures students' sense of belonging and it's important to encourage families “to make sure all students are able to grow and achieve.”
She has been watching with interest the naming of the new middle school and the school board's engagement with the community to reconsider its choices. “There's certainly been an openness and willingness to have difficult conversations,” Chin said.
Looking to the future
Chin replaces Kristen Anderson, who announced her resignation in March after 10 years as Concord-Carlisle's associate superintendent of instruction. Anderson previously held a similar role at Nauset Public Schools on Cape Cod.
Chin said the Concord-Carlisle position is set to reopen in the winter to allow for more community input, and she will definitely reapply for the position.
“I believe I have the breadth of insight and depth of experience at many levels to help Concord take its work to the next level,” she said.
A resident of Sudbury, in her spare time she enjoys cooking, reading, and traveling/camping with her husband and two middle school-aged sons.
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