Westwood Public Schools Hires New Leaders, Including Assistant Superintendent and HR Director

Westwood Public Schools on June 26th has announced Caitlin Ahern as its new Assistant Superintendent of Schools and Chon’tel Washington as the district’s first Director of Human Resources, with both joining the WPS as members of the district administration’s leadership team.

WPS Superintendent Timothy Piwowar stated, “We are pleased to welcome both Ms. Ahern and Ms. Washington to Westwood. Their backgrounds, experience, and enthusiasm for excellence in education make them wonderful fits for the WPS team.”

Caitlin Ahern succeeds Allison Borchers, who recently accepted the position of Superintendent of Schools in Westborough, beginning in Fall 2024. Ms. Ahern herself leaves her position as Director of Elementary Education in the Lexington Public Schools, the school district where she has worked for the past 10 years.

In Lexington, Ms. Ahern served as a 4th grade teacher, director of professional learning, and director of elementary education. She received her B.A. in Anthropology from Mount Holyoke College, and Master of Education in Teaching and Learning degree from Harvard University. She received her Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent Licensure in 2017.

“I am excited to join the Westwood community, to learn from our district and school staff, students, and families about what makes Westwood great, and where there are opportunities for innovation and growth,” she said. “I plan to spend the summer months having as many conversations with different stakeholders and groups as I can to learn the systems and practices of the district, and then get into schools this fall to see our amazing teachers and students in action.”

Chon’tel Washington steps into the newly created position of WPS Director of Human Resources. WPS Superintendent Piwowar proposed the position in February, noting that it would allow the assistant superintendent position, which so far had been handling those duties, to return to a focus on teaching and learning. Additionally, he noted the large staff turnover that WPS experienced during the pandemic, especially among support staff. Mr. Piwowar called it a district priority to hire, develop, and retain a diverse staff that mirrors the student population.

Ms. Washington comes from the Belmont Public Schools, where she served as director of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Before that, she held roles that centered around DEI work at Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia, and at Framingham State University. She holds a B.A. in liberal arts with a concentration in African Studies from Hamilton College, and an MBA from Brandeis University.

“I am honored to embark on the journey as the inaugural HR Director for Westwood Public Schools,” she said. “I am eager to establish an exceptional staff of WPS personnel, ensuring they have the support they need to thrive in our mission to serve the students of Westwood.”

Mr. Piwowar remarked positively on the new additions to the district's administration. “I look forward to working with them both, and watching as they make their mark here in Westwood,” he said.

Additional hires were announced at the June 13th Westwood School Committee meeting - two leadership positions at Pine Hill School, Westwood’s newest elementary school. Reid Jones is Pine Hill's new principal, and Samantha Bean is the new assistant principal. They take the reins from Principal Josh Baumer and Assistant Principal Donna Olson, respectively, who in February of this year eased the transition of students from Deerfield School and Hanlon School into one student body at Pine Hill.

Mr. Jones leaves the Samuel W. Mason Pilot Elementary School, where he served as principal for two of seven years in the Boston Public Schools. At BPS, he has held the roles of teacher, transformation coach, and principal. Mr. Jones graduated cum laude
with a B.S. from Cornell University, and obtained a Master of Education in Elementary Education from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Pine Hill's new Assistant Principal is Samantha Bean, who served as assistant principal for an Everett Public Schools K-8 campus of around 1,000 students. She was also a special education teacher at Chelsea Public Schools for seven years. Ms. Bean obtained her bachelor’s degree in Special Education and Teaching from Lesley University and her Master of Education from Northeastern University.

Thanks to Westwood Public Schools for sharing its news for this Westwood Minute article.

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