School committee votes to offer assistant superintendent role to Kristen Anderson

The Danvers School Committee voted on Feb. 11 to offer the district’s assistant superintendent position to Kristen Anderson following a multi-stage search and interview process. The committee approved two motions: (1) to offer the assistant-superintendent position to Anderson (motion passed by roll call: unanimous ‘aye’), and (2) to authorize Superintendent Dan to negotiate a contract with Anderson and return the proposed agreement to the committee for final approval (motion passed unanimously).

Superintendent Dan summarized the search process, saying the district had nearly 40 applicants and used a search committee, stakeholder interviews and a public virtual presentation. Dan noted strong reference checks and described Anderson as an experienced candidate with a background in curriculum, professional development and system-level leadership across elementary, middle and high school contexts.

Committee members thanked outgoing interim leaders and emphasized the depth of the finalist pool; they also praised Peter Damaro for serving as acting high-school principal during the search. The committee asked Superintendent Dan to return with a negotiated contract for final committee vote.

Why this matters: The assistant superintendent role is a central administrative post that will influence district curriculum, professional development and system operations. The committee’s vote completes the selection stage and begins contract negotiation, which requires a subsequent final vote by the committee.