Jason Gallagher, who has led Harvard-Kent Elementary Faculty in Charlestown for 11 years, will change into the subsequent head of Boston Latin Faculty, faculty officers introduced Monday morning.
His ascension to the highest job at Latin Faculty in some methods represents a homecoming for Gallagher, a lifelong resident of Charlestown. He graduated from BLS in 1991 and his two sons additionally earned their diplomas there in 2018 and 2021.
Gallagher will exchange Rachel Skerritt, who introduced on March 11 that she shall be stepping down on the finish of the varsity yr after 5 years within the publish.
A 21-year veteran of Boston Public Faculties, Gallagher beforehand labored as an assistant director within the district’s Workplace of Particular Training and a classroom instructor at Harvard-Kent. He additionally was a historical past/particular training instructor at Braintree Excessive Faculty.
Gallagher has achieved notable success at Harvard-Kent, a racially-diverse faculty of 347 college students.
In 2019, the Boston nonprofit EdVestors acknowledged Harvard-Kent as a “Faculty on the Transfer” for its sustained development in MCAS scores and for narrowing gaps in achievement amongst college students of various backgrounds.
On the time, Harvard-Kent had the most important portion of scholars dwelling in public housing than another BPS faculty. To deepen scholar engagement, the varsity positioned a premium on constructing partnerships with outdoors organizations and the encompassing neighborhood.
The varsity additionally invested closely in after-school applications in math and literacy that have been tailor-made to handle college students’ particular person studying wants.
“Crucial factor we do every single day is supply a protected and welcoming faculty to our college students and households,” Gallagher stated on the time after receiving the $100,000 award. “We need to make our youngsters really feel like they’re in the perfect faculty not simply in Boston, however within the nation. If you’re a member of the Harvard-Kent faculty group, we would like you to really feel essential, beloved and valued. And, we would like you to change into a proficient reader, author and mathematician.”
The varsity’s demographics have shifted since then, with the inhabitants of white college students climbing from 20 % in 2019 to almost 30 %, whereas the portion of scholars not fluent in English has declined.
Gallagher holds a bachelor’s diploma in Historical past from Merrimack School, a grasp’s in Training from Simmons School, and a grasp’s in Academic Management from Framingham State College.
It is a creating story and shall be up to date.
James Vaznis could be reached at james.vaznis@globe.com. Observe him on Twitter @globevaznis.