Farrell Tabbed New Melrose High School Principal

Superintendent Cyndy Taymore announced Thursday that Marianne Farrell will be the new principal at Melrose High School.

"I believe Marianne has both the depth and the vision that Melrose High School needs," Taymore said in a press statement. "I appointed her interim principal during the summer in order to have continuity and consistency at the high school. Since then, Marianne has shown true leadership in many ways. She has created positive relationships with staff, parents, and students. I feel that the building has a better culture as a result of her leadership.

"Marianne has an incredible depth of knowledge about Melrose High School, its strengths and challenges. Now she is using that experience to build a stronger Melrose High School and bring in the innovations our students need to be prepared for college and work in the 21st century."

In late February, a Melrose High School principal search committee identified two finalists for the position, including Farrell, who had been serving as interim principal at the high school, and Bedford High School Assistant Principal Kristen Vogel. The committee formed in early January, and the district received more than 30 applications before the eventually naming of Farrell as the new principal at the high school.

Taymore said that she believes Farrell has brought a new, more student-centered focus to the high school, according to the statement. She added that Farrell has developed collaborative relationships with staff members and has achieved a consensus on the changes the school needs to make to improve it moving forward.

"As a staff member said to me, '(Farrell) takes ideas and runs with them. She takes the initiative to get things done, and she pulls in all the right players,'" Taymore said in the statement. "(She) encourages new ideas and is very supportive of her staff, and yet, when necessary, she will make leadership decisions that are always in the best interest of the students."

Taymore said Farrell has brought best practices found in other well-performing school districts to the high school, including instituting common planning time for staff, so that teachers who are teaching the same subject can meet and ensure that all students are learning the same material, according to the statement. She has also implemented "vertical" team meetings to improve coordination between grade levels, particularly the transition from grade 8 to grade 9, according to the statement.

Taymore also discussed how Farrell has struck a balance between standard classroom instruction and integrating technology.

"She has taken a thoughtful approach, realizing that technology cannot stand alone without support for both staff and students," Taymore said in the statement. "She has created an academic facilitator position to provide that support as we expand our online and blended learning classes. These classes allow our students to be more independent and provide opportunities for motivated students to take more challenging classes."

Taymore is looking forward to the spirit Farrell will bring to the school, according to the statement. According to Taymore, Farrell has told her that, "We need to review everything we do. Just because we have always done it doesn't mean we should continue to do it, but it also doesn't mean we should discard those things that work well for students."

"(Farrell) will bring a renewed commitment to the high standards that we expect from our students and staff," Taymore said in the statement. "I believe (she) will make Melrose High School a student-centered school with improved teaching methods, improved student and parent input, and a rigorous curriculum that will prepare our students for today's ever-changing world."