Appointment of Hanover Public Schools Director of Student Services 4/15/21
I am pleased to announce that Cedar School Principal, Michael Oates, was appointed to the position of Director of Student Services* at last night’s School Committee meeting, following my recommendation. This is a critical leadership position for our district, and I am very confident that Mr. Oates has the administrative and classroom experience, academic credentials, leadership ability, and interpersonal attributes that make him an excellent candidate for this role. Mr. Oates is succeeding Mr. Keith Guyette who has held this position for the past three years and who is leaving Hanover for new endeavors. We are very grateful to Mr. Guyette for his hard work and commitment to serving our students, staff, and families for the past three years.
Mr. Oates knows our students and their families, he has built strong relationships with our staff at all levels, and he is loyal and committed to our school community. In his career, Mr. Oates has worked as a leader in multiple districts with diverse populations and service needs – many that fit perfectly with this role. He has been directly involved in all of our work around literacy, specialized programming for students with Autism, the development of the Stars programming at Cedar, and he is the district trainer on de-escalation techniques. Mr. Oates earned a Master’s Degree in Special Education, he has worked as an inclusion teacher, and he has over twelve years of experience as a principal who was actively involved in special education, English Language Learners, counseling services, health/wellness, and budgetary issues.
This is an incredibly important role in our school system, and it is very difficult to find the right candidate. As we began the search process, it quickly became apparent that the best candidate for Hanover right now is already on our team and ready to accept this new challenge. Mr. Oates will begin his new assignment over the summer, and I will be evaluating our options for a succession plan at Cedar School in the weeks ahead. Please join me in congratulating Mr. Oates on his new position.
Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable April vacation!
Sincerely,
Matt Ferron
Superintendent
* In Hanover, the Director of Student Services is responsible for Special Education and related student services