LOWELL — Liam Skinner will serve as the interim superintendent of Lowell Public Schools.
Skinner, the current Chief of Schools, was selected following about five hours of interviews conducted with the School Committee on Saturday. He received the backing of School Committee members Jackie Doherty, Dominik Lay, Susie Chhoun, Connie Martin, and Mayor Sokhary Chau.
School Committee members Eileen DelRossi and Stacey Thomspon cast their votes for current Boston Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Kevin McCaskill. Martin initially voted for outgoing Northampton Public Schools Interim Superintendent Jannell Pearson-Campbell, before switching her vote to Skinner.
The vote to name Skinner as interim superintendent ultimately passed 7-0, after each School Committee member shared their thoughts.
Two other internal candidates Lowell Public Schools Chief Equity and Engagement Officer Latifah Phillips and Chief Academic Officer Robin Desmond were also in consideration. While they received praise from the School Committee members during deliberations, neither Philips nor Desmond appeared to be the first choice of any of the committee members.
Skinner is a native of Cork, Ireland and immigrated to the U.S. in 1988 to teach at St. Patrick School in the Acre. He also taught at Lowell Catholic High School, before becoming an eighth-grade math teacher at the Daley Middle School in 1994. In 1999, Skinner became the school’s principal. He currently resides in the Highlands with his wife and children.
“He led the Daley into the era of standards-based instruction, a context in which the school has thrived. Liam fostered a culture of excellence at the Daley, one characterized by a staff that continually seeks to improve instructional practices, who hold high expectations of students, communicate their belief in them, and take responsibility for their academic success and personal growth,” a Lowell Public Schools post congratulating Skinner on his new position reads.
Lowell Public Schools also said Skinner has also been involved in co-leading a School Leadership Institute in collaboration with UMass Lowell to provide professional development to school leaders from Lowell and other area districts, spanning topics such as cultural proficiency, supervision of instruction, and effective change management.
Former Lowell Public Schools Superintendent Joel Boyd announced he would leave his post at the conclusion of the 2022-2023 school year in April, choosing to become CEO of Mastery Charter Schools.
