Waltham High New Principal Named: Brenda Peña

WALTHAM, MA — The high school will have a new principal beginning in July, the first to take the wheel in a permanent capacity since 2018.

Waltham High School Associate Principal Brenda Peña will slide into her new role as principal July 1.

Peña began her career as a school adjustment counselor at Waltham High School 16 years ago. Eight years later she became a dean of students for the Salem Public Schools. After about four years of that returned to Waltham High School in 2017 as an associate principal.

"Peña has demonstrated her commitment to leading Waltham High School with equity at the center of her work," Superintendent Brian Reagan said in a statement.

Peña grew up in Waltham, as a bilingual student. That experience shapes her work as an educator and school leader, and how she relates to students, and impressed the interview team, according to the district, calling her a "strong proponent of culturally responsive teaching who is willing to support educators who are working to shift their practice toward that framework."

Reagan and the district described her as having humility and dedication to her students.

"During the interview process, she demonstrated an ability to analyze instruction and identify specific strategies to increase student engagement while maintaining high academic expectations," according to a statement from Reagan.

Peña will take over for Deputy Superintendent Paul Maiorano who stepped in as interim principal after the beloved Waltham High School Principal Gregory DeMeo retired in 2018.

The district went through a search process in late 2018 to 2019, but at the end of it, then Superintendent Drew Echelson told the community none of the candidates were ready to become Waltham's next high school principal.

The latest search kicked off in January.

An 18-member screening committee composed of high school staff members, students, parents, community members and administrators reviewed resumes and survey data and selected nine candidates for interviews. Of those, the committee chose four candidates as finalists, one of whom withdrew prior to the finalists being announced publicly.