School committee approves new academic operations role and appoints Stacy Rogers as Assistant Superintendent

The Plymouth School Committee on April 7 approved revised job descriptions for two district leadership posts — an Assistant Superintendent of Academic Operations (a restructured role combining elements of special education direction and assistant superintendent duties) and a Director of Curriculum and Instruction — and moved to appoint Dr. Stacy Rogers to the Assistant Superintendent of Academic Operations position.

Chief Administrative staff outlined the restructuring as a strategy to strengthen special education leadership while not increasing the district’s overall number of administrative positions. Doctor Erica Campbell and other administrators said the model reduces duplication, places more services at the building level, and uses existing personnel talent: the assistant superintendent for administration and instruction’s responsibilities would be shifted so that Dr. Rogers could lead the combined academic and special education oversight.

The committee heard that the assistant director of special education role would be refined to focus on in-district work, while a new out-of-district liaison (a teaching position under the teacher contract) would support students placed outside the district. The Director of Curriculum and Instruction position will supervise academic coordinators and carry curriculum development, professional development and assessment responsibilities; administrators said the director post would initially be posted in-house to encourage an internal candidate to assume expanded duties.

At the meeting the job descriptions were presented with tracked changes and a proposed capitalization edit to consistently refer to “Special Education” as a department. A motion to approve the job descriptions, including the capitalization amendment, was moved and seconded and carried. Committee members emphasized the district’s intent to avoid raising administrative costs; one member said the restructuring should reduce overall administrative headcount over time.

Following the job-description votes, a motion was made to appoint Dr. Stacy Rogers to the newly revised assistant superintendent role. Committee members spoke in support of Rogers’s qualifications and experience in special education. The committee approved the appointment (the committee discussion recorded broad support and no recorded opposition) and congratulated Dr. Rogers.

Administrators said the revised assistant superintendent position includes duties in administration and instruction, special education leadership, policy, community involvement and operational oversight. The Director of Curriculum and Instruction role will report to the Assistant Superintendent of Academic Operations and provide day-to-day support for academic programming. The district plans to present a revised job description for an assistant director of special education and an out-of-district liaison at a later meeting and to post the director role internally in the near term.

Committee members asked for continued attention to succession planning, with one member noting that finding a leader with Dr. Rogers’s combined qualifications could be difficult in the future. Administrators replied that if leadership changes occur they would post similar positions to widen the candidate pool.

No changes to compensation for existing staff were announced at the meeting; administrators said the plan aims to reallocate responsibilities rather than increase administrative payroll.