ANDOVER — The Andover School Committee is pleased to officially name Dr. Magda Parvey, a veteran school administrator, as the new superintendent of the Andover Public Schools.
The committee voted unanimously this evening to enter into a three-year contract with Dr. Parvey after appointing her to the role on April 12. The selection is the result of a national search conducted with the assistance of recruitment firm Ray & Associates. Dr. Parvey will assume her new role leading Andover’s schools on July 1.
Dr. Parvey most recently served as chief academic officer of the Middletown, Connecticut Public Schools, and before that worked as the interim superintendent of schools in New Rochelle, New York and as assistant superintendent for instructional services in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District in North Carolina.
In her current role in Connecticut, Andover’s new superintendent has been tasked with developing short- and long-range goals for the district, and has been an integral part of the district’s effort to provide all students with learning experiences that prepare them to thrive as college- and career-ready critical thinkers and problem solvers.
“I am honored and excited to join Andover Public Schools as Superintendent. The district’s long legacy of academic excellence and commitment to high achievement for all with a focus on equity are just a few of the reasons this opportunity excites me,” Parvey said. “I am looking forward to collaborating with the School Committee, students, parents, faculty and staff as well as the larger Andover community. Together, we will continue to build on Andover’s academic success while accelerating growth and innovation for all students.”
During her time in New Rochelle, Dr. Parvey promoted a rigorous curriculum that emphasized offering access to opportunities for all students, while also focusing on professional development for faculty and promoting a culture of learning and collaboration.
“This process presented Andover an extraordinary opportunity to identify a leader who is uniquely qualified to build upon the foundation we have put in place as a district and guide our schools in the years ahead,” School Committee Chairperson Shannon Scully said. “We are deeply grateful for the extensive community effort and feedback that allowed us to identify Dr. Parvey as our next superintendent. She is a collaborative educator and administrator who will keep students’ needs at the forefront of her decision-making and foster a world-class learning environment in Andover.”
Dr. Parvey was identified as Andover’s next superintendent after an extensive search process that included a community-wide survey, 15 focus group meetings, and interviews with district leaders by the search consultants. Through that process, a profile of the ideal candidate emerged and identified them as someone who:
- Is willing to listen to input, but is a decision-maker.
- Possesses the leadership skills required to respond to the opportunities and challenges presented by an ethnically and culturally diverse community.
- Inspires trust, self-confidence, and models high standards of integrity and personal performance with the ability to develop and communicate a vision of quality education for the future to the board, staff and community.
- Is a strong communicator; speaking, listening and writing.
- Has experience recruiting and maintaining exceptional staff for the district and schools.
- Has experience dealing with employee representative groups/unions.
- Has knowledge of and successful experience in sound fiscal practices and management of district resources, including appropriate participation of others in planning and decision-making.
- Is strongly committed to a “student first” philosophy in all decisions.
- Has knowledge of emerging research and best practice in the area of
curriculum/instructional design and practice and makes recommendations and decisions that are data informed. - Promotes a positive and professional environment for district employees and Board.
- Commitment to and experience dealing with all genders, races, and socio-economic groups.
- Demonstrates a deep understanding of special education that meets the individualized needs of each student.
Dr. Parvey began her career in education as a classroom teacher in Brooklyn, New York, in 1995 and from there served as executive director of the Children’s Center at SUNY Brooklyn, then as an assistant principal and later principal at the elementary school level in New York. She rose to districtwide administration for the first time in 2008 as an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in West Islip on Long Island before moving on to North Carolina, New Rochelle, and most recently Middletown.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Canisius College and two Master’s degrees — elementary education and teaching, and educational leadership and administration — from Adelphi University. She earned her doctoral degree in educational leadership and administration from Fordham University.
For more information about the superintendent search process, click here.
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