Published in the September 26, 2019 edition.
WAKEFIELD — Glavia Smith will join Wakefield Public Schools as its new METCO Director on Oct. 15, 2019, School Superintendent Douglas Lyons announced on Tuesday.
According to Lyons, Smith interviewed with a team of school and district administrators and members of the METCO staff.
“It was quickly apparent that Ms. Smith was a uniquely qualified candidate,” Lyons said.
Smith holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Bridgewater State University and Simmons College and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). For the last 18 years, she has worked in child welfare with experience as a crisis clinician with Eliot Community Human Services and, most recently, as the Adoption Unit Supervisor for the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in Boston.
She is fluent in Haitian Creole and comes with impeccable references and recommendations, Lyons said. Additionally, she also has the experience of participating in the METCO program as a high school student.
“Her life and professional experiences, joined with her ability to communicate and develop programming to support students, made Ms. Smith a top candidate for this position,” Lyons said.
The first order of business in her new role will be to collaborate with the administrative team and form relationships with faculty, staff, students, and families, Lyons added. Smith will be supported by a mentor and will work closely with central office administrators to learn about the district and her new role. She will also be supported by Wakefield’s METCO personnel as well as METCO headquarters in Boston.
METCO, the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity, was incorporated in 1966 as a voluntary desegregation program under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. METCO promotes the integration of suburban schools while affording the opportunity of a suburban public education to Boston-resident youth. Wakefield began participating in the METCO program in 1969 and currently serves 68 students who make the trip daily from Boston to attend the Wakefield Public Schools.