Waltham Names New Whittemore Principal: Ricardo Dobles

WALTHAM, MA — Wittemore Elementary School has a new principal.

Dr. Ricardo Dobles will be the next principal of the Henry Whittemore Elementary School beginning July 1.

The position has been influx since 2019, when Emma Hertzog stepped away for maternity leave. Andrew Ahmadi served as Whittemore's acting principal for several months. Then the district appointed Alexander Mathews as interim principal for this school year.

Dobles has more than 10 years of experience in public education. Most recently, since 2015 he's held the job of vice principal of the Barbieri Elementary School in Framingham, a two-way Spanish immersion school of nearly 700 students in grades K-5.

He has also been a wraparound coordinator for the Worcester Public Schools where he was responsible for developing partnerships between the school and various community agencies.

He has a bachelor degree from Columbia University in comparative literature and a a masters and doctorate of education from Harvard University Graduate College of Education.

"Stakeholders noted that as someone who is Latino and bilingual, Dr. Dobles will be an important addition to the Whittemore community where nearly 78% of the student population identifies as Hispanic," said Superintendent Brian Reagan in a statement.

Dobles’s references described him as an "astute observer" of classroom instruction, a leader who is open to new ideas, and an advocate who promotes and supports high quality instruction for all students. They also spoke highly of his moral character and his commitment to educational equity, according to Reagan.

Between Jan. 25 and Feb. 12, some 20 people applied for the position. Four of those made it through to the interview round. And the 13-member screening committee selected two candidates as finalists, including David Sweder, an assistant principal at Kennedy Middle School in Waltham.

Previously: Waltham Names 2 Finalists For Whittemore School ..