Policy Committee approves pilot CSI director job description for Beach Street School

The Manchester School District Policy Committee on Oct. 15, 2025, approved a pilot job description for a Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI) director to be assigned to Beach Street School and forwarded the item to the full Board of School Committee.

Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Nicole Doherty presented the proposal, saying Beach Street "has been identified as a school of need of improvement since 2018 based on having one of the lowest overall performance levels in the state." The CSI director, Doherty said, "will play a crucial role in addressing this designation by providing targeted support and supervision across all subject areas focusing on student performance to align with identified academic needs." Doherty described responsibilities including implementing research-based curriculum, instructional coaching, and strengthening family engagement.

Committee members asked for clarity about duplication with existing district roles and whether the Beach Street principal supported the position. Doherty said Principal Newman proposed the position and would supervise the CSI director, adding the director would be housed at Beach Street and work closely with the principal and assistant principal. Committee member Bonilla requested that multilingual and culturally responsive practice be listed as preferred qualifications to reflect the school's demographics; the committee agreed the preference should be noted.

Members discussed how the position would divide time between coaching staff and direct student work. Doherty said the split would be roughly 60/40 to 70/30 favoring coaching, adaptable to the principal's determinations. Committee member Potter recommended that progress monitoring be explicitly included; Doherty said the school uses MCAS data on a six-week cycle for progress monitoring and that the CSI director would use those data to target interventions and support teachers alongside existing reading specialists.

Doherty and members noted Beach Street serves about 530 students, one of the district's largest elementary schools, and the committee discussed funding. Doherty explained CSI designation and funding operate on a yearly designation cycle (the district is currently in year three); the committee described the position as a pilot tied to CSI funds and acknowledged it could be time-limited depending on future designations.

The committee moved to approve the comprehensive school improvement director job description, as amended, and to forward the item to the full Board of School Committee. Committee member Kim Richards Parr moved; committee member Potter seconded. The motion passed by voice vote.

Votes at a glance: Approval of minutes from the Sept. 17, 2025 policy committee meeting (moved by committee member Benitez, seconded by Kenema O'Neil) was approved by voice vote; the CSI director job description motion (moved by Kim Richards Parr, seconded by Potter) was approved by voice vote and forwarded to the full Board of School Committee.

The committee's action directs the job description to proceed to the full Board for final approval; the record indicates the role is intended as a pilot using CSI funds and that specific duties (including progress monitoring and preferred multilingual qualifications) should be reflected in the final posting and job materials.