Newton Public Schools Hires New District/School Leadership

Today, the Newton Public Schools announced the hiring of three new leaders for the 2024-25 school year. Dr. Gina Flanagan will be the new Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Gene Roundtree will be the new Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education, and Dr. Daniel Green will be the new principal of Bigelow Middle School. Many highly qualified and talented individuals applied for the positions and interviews were conducted over the past two months. These three leaders were selected after a rigorous process in which they visited schools, met with NPS staff, and participated in community meetings with families.

“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Flanagan, Dr. Roundtree, and Dr. Green to the Newton Public Schools as each brings their own brand of new energy and expertise to the roles, ” said Dr. Anna Nolin, Superintendent of the Newton Public Schools. “All three candidates impressed our administrators, educators, and families with their extensive experience, their vision for leadership, and most of all, their commitment to improving the student experience. I believe each of them will continue to propel our district to new heights, while also addressing areas of needed improvement.”

Dr. Flanagan, the incoming Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, comes to Newton from the ACCEPT Education Collaborative where she is currently the Deputy Director of Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment and Professional Development. At ACCEPT, she manages the development of high quality curriculum, instruction and assessments for students with cognitive, social-behavioral and physical disabilities from 16 Boston Metrowest public schools districts. Prior to her work at ACCEPT, she was the principal at East Longmeadow High School for nine years. Dr. Flanagan received her doctorate in education from Boston College in 2014.

“The Newton Public Schools has consistently been a leader in Massachusetts for fostering innovative and engaging learning experiences for all students, while also prioritizing their social-emotional wellbeing and development,” said Dr. Gina Flanagan. “These values have always been a cornerstone of my work in education and I am excited to collaborate with the entire NPS community in providing our students a high quality education that also prepares them to be healthy, happy and productive adults.”

Dr. Roundtree, the incoming Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education, currently works in the Boston Public School system where he is the Secondary School Superintendent. He held a variety of roles in BPS, including assistant teacher of special education, biology/chemistry teacher, mentor, curriculum designer, principal fellow, and headmaster, before arriving in his current position. Dr. Roundtree received his doctorate in education from Boston College in 2024.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to join the NPS team and their commitment to academic excellence, educational equity, and social-emotional development of all students,” said Dr. Roundtree. “I look forward to joining the Portrait of the Graduate conversation and working with NPS educators to build the relationships that will ensure our students have inspiring, affirming and transformative experiences in the Newton Public Schools."

Dr. Green, the incoming Principal of Bigelow Middle School, comes to Newton from the Field School in Weston where he currently serves as principal. At the Field School, Dr. Green has facilitated leadership for culturally responsive education, social-emotional learning, professional development, child study, faculty, and curriculum instruction teams. He has also worked with school and district leaders, staff, and community partners to implement robust multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) informed by data. Building such systems across the Newton Public School district is a key goal for the upcoming strategic plan and his experience will be critical. Dr. Green received his doctorate in education from Johns Hopkins University in 2018.

“Bigelow provides the opportunity for me to work in a relatively small school where I am able to get to know every student as an individual, but where I also have access to the resources of a large school district,” said Dr. Green. “In addition, I believe the diversity of the student body at Bigelow provides so many authentic opportunities for students to learn and benefit from peers who may have perspectives and backgrounds different from their own.”
“These accomplished educators add their skills to an already talented team of leaders in the Newton Public Schools,” said Dr. Nolin. “The addition of these new leaders, coupled with a strong budget foundation, positions the district to enter the 2024-25 school year on solid footing. “Because they are so experienced in their fields, our focus can be on continuous improvement and forward movement,” Nolin said. “We look forward to working closely with our administrators, our educators, our families, and our community partners to build and plan for the bright future we all desire for our Newton Public Schools.”