Jill S. Geiser Named Principal of Healey School

On Wednesday morning, Somerville Public Schools announced two major hires. of that school. In addition, Jill S. Geiser was named principal of the .

Below is the announcement from Somerville Public Schools regarding the hire of Geiser:

JILL S. GEISER NAMED PRINCIPAL AT THE HEALEY SCHOOL

Dynamic School Leader takes Healey School Senior Position

Somerville, MA – Somerville Public Schools Superintendent, Tony Pierantozzi, announced last night that Jill S. Geiser will take the Principal position at the Arthur D. Healey School.  Ms. Geiser takes the senior leadership position at the Healey School after serving three years as Principal of the James F. Leonard Middle School in Lawrence, Massachusetts. She brings six years of state school leadership experience and nine years of teaching experience to the Somerville Public Schools.  She holds two Master’s degrees in Education and is currently completing her Doctor of Education studies in the Professional School Administrator Program at Boston College.  

“We had an excellent slate of candidates for this position, and I am excited to welcome Ms. Geiser as the new Principal at the Healey School,” stated Superintendent Pierantozzi.  “She brings an outstanding combination of skills and successful leadership experience that are an excellent match for this progressive school community and for the District.  Her innovative and diverse leadership approach, instructional focus, team-building and communication skills will help ensure that the Healey School continues on a path of excellence.”

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve in this leadership role at the Healey School,” commented Ms. Geiser.  “The Healey community is an innovative one that constantly strives to provide the best education possible for its students, and I am excited about being a part of that endeavor.”

An emphasis on Progressive Education, standards-based instructional systems, analyzing and using data to drive instruction, and developing strong school/community relations have been defining features of Ms. Geiser’s successful approach to leadership in education.  She has significant experience managing and designing English Language Learner (ELL) and Special Education instructional programming.  Prior to her current Principal position at the Leonard Middle School, Ms. Geiser served as Assistant Principal at the Lawrence International High School from 2006 to 2009.  Along with six years of school leadership experience, Ms. Geiser’s qualifications include nine years of teaching experience in the United States and abroad, including a two-year appointment as an English Language Instructor in Bangkok, Thailand.  

“Ms. Geiser is an impressive leader with broad experience in many cultural settings,” added School Committee Chairman, Paul Bockelman.  “She brings a strong commitment to equity in education and is eager to be part of the Healey community as it continues to make impressive progress as a unified school structured around its core principles: Excellence, Creativity, Openness, and Joy.”

Ms. Geiser holds a Massachusetts State Professional Academic Principal/Assistant Principal Certification for grades K-6, 5-8, and 9-12.  She also holds a Massachusetts State Initial Academic Superintendent/ Assistant Superintendent Certification, All Levels.  Ms. Geiser earned an ME in Education Leadership from the Teachers College at Columbia University, and a Master of Arts in English as a Second Language/Bilingual Education from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.  She is also a graduate of the University of Delaware, where she earned a BA in English with a minor in Spanish.

“We are extremely grateful to Mrs. Vadhera for her willingness to take on the Interim Principal appointment at the Healey School last July to help ensure a seamless transition into the 2011-2012 school year,” added Superintendent Pierantozzi. “We appreciate her commitment to the Healey community during this critical transition period for the School.” 

The Somerville Public Schools follows a standard and inclusive recruitment and hiring process for senior school administrators to ensure broad community input.  The process begins with focus group meetings with parents/guardians, faculty members, and members of the school’s community, that provide input in the development of a candidate profile.  A separate and representative Screening Committee and Interview Panel are established for each position to determine the pool of applicants who best match the School and District’s needs.  A slate of final candidates is forwarded to the Superintendent of Schools, who makes the final hiring decision based on the Interview Panel’s recommendations and a comprehensive personal interview process.

For more information about the appointment of Jill Geiser as Principal of the Healey School, please contact Tony Pierantozzi, Superintendent of Schools, 617-625-6600 x6005 or  HYPERLINK "mailto:tpierantozzi@k12.somerville.ma.us" tpierantozzi@k12.somerville.ma.us.