Westwood’s Longtime METCO Director Sheryl Goodloe to retire

Sheryl Goodloe, who has served as Westwood Public School’s METCO(Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) Director for over twenty-five years, will retire at the end of this school year. She also serves on the statewide METCO Director’s Association Executive Board. A search committee of students, parents, faculty and administrators has narrowed the list of potential applicants down to three: Marika Hamilton, Lateefah Franck, and Jill-Katherine Cannon.

“In light of Sheryl's longstanding commitment to the program, the search committee wanted to make sure first and foremost that we find a new director who will build strong relationships with students and families, provide encouragement and support, and serve as a mentor and advocate. The role involves many other responsibilities--grant management and program development, for example--but finding someone who can work effectively with kids and families was the top priority,” says Assistant Superintendent Allison Borchers regarding the committee's focus.

METCO alumnus Marika Hamilton is the Registrar and Associate Dean of Enrollment Management: Admissions & Academic Records at Bunker Hill Community College. She attended Simmons University for her undergraduate degree, and received an M. Ed from Cambridge College. Hamilton used to be the director of R.I.S.E. (Reaching Into Self-Esteem), a program for girls in Boston. In that capacity, she added a college-readiness program to R.I.S.E’s existing curriculum.

Lincoln’s current METCO director, Lateefah Franck, is also a finalist. She has a long history of working in varied educational settings. Like Goodloe, she also serves on METCO Director’s Association Executive Board.

Jill Cannon presently studies at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education with an emphasis on school leadership. She received her BA in Psychology from Spelman College and her M.Ed. from Towson University in Early Childhood Education. Prior to returning to school, she was Head of Faculty in Abu Dhabi at a public school, where she increased diversity in the curriculum and school events.

When asked about the possibility of expanding Westwood Public Schools’ METCO program to begin in Kindergarten under the new Director, Borchers replied “I can definitely see a future in which the Westwood community supports a K-12 METCO program. The process of expansion would take time, because it would require extensive community involvement and careful planning. If we are going to ask Boston families to trust us with their young children, we need to make sure that we have the necessary training, curriculum, services and community support to help those children thrive academically, socially and emotionally.”

All three finalists have met with students and teachers at Thurston Middle School and Westwood High School this week. On March 28, a forum was held at Boston University for parents to hear from the finalists. Borchers notes “Students are looking for a director to help them navigate the challenges and celebrate the successes of attending school in Westwood. They are also interested in someone who will advocate for the hiring of staff of color, the expansion of co-curricular opportunities, and the diversification of curriculum. [Westwood Public Schools] staff are seeking a director who will help them better meet the needs of students of color, whether through professional training, program development or day-to-day mentoring. They are also eager to learn how to help all students successfully navigate a diverse and interconnected world.”