Samantha Headley Named Interim Principal & Kristin Allison Named Interim Assistant Principal of Morse School for 2023-24 School Year
Dear Morse School Community:
I want to thank you for your engagement during the Principal interview and selection process. It was much appreciated and key to our commitment to do an inclusive search. As I shared last Friday, both finalists informed us that they had accepted positions elsewhere. Therefore, we have decided to appoint an Interim Principal for the 2023-2024 school year.
I am pleased to announce that after careful consideration, we have appointed Assistant Principal Samantha Headley as Interim Principal. Ms. Headley has more than 20 years of experience as an educator in Cambridge. She joined the Morse School community in 2002 and has served as 1st grade teacher and literacy coach. She was named Assistant Principal in 2016. Ms. Headley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Elementary Education from Queen's University in Canada and a Masters in Education from Harvard University. She earned her administrator license through Lesley University and the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals' Association.
Raised in Canada to Sri Lankan parents, Ms. Headley brings an international and intercultural lens that has informed her work as an educator and a leader. During her years at Morse, she has developed strong relationships with the community and has demonstrated student-centered leadership, working collaboratively with staff, families, and students to address inequities and improve learning outcomes. Having played a key leadership role in the implementation of many school-based improvement initiatives over the last several years, Ms. Headley is poised to build upon the Morse School’s strengths and work with community members to set new goals.
I am also delighted to share that Ms. Kristin Allison, a veteran educator and a longtime member of the Morse School community, has been appointed Interim Assistant Principal. Ms. Allison has held multiple leadership roles at the school and district level, including Acting Morse Assistant Principal in the fall of 2021.
Ms. Allison began her teaching career as a 4th grade teacher through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in San Diego, California. She joined the Morse School 27 years ago as a 1st grade, Kindergarten, and Junior Kindergarten teacher. A grant recipient of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program and the National Endowment for the Humanities, Ms. Allison has also taught in Cambodia and Uruguay. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Boston College and a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics, English as a Second or Other Language from UMASS Boston. She also earned her administrator license through Lesley University and the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals’ Association. Ms. Allison currently serves as a representative on the CPS Kindergarten Leadership Team and the Cambridge Early Childhood Council.
I have no doubt Ms. Headley and Ms. Allison will provide stability, leadership, and support to the Morse School community during this time of transition. We look forward to supporting them as they lead the Morse School together.
Again, thank you for your engagement and support.
Sincerely,
Victoria L. Greer, Superintendent
Corey Dotson, Chief Talent Officer