Eliza Cassella Named Assistant Principal at Collins Middle School
Former Director of SEL, Culture and Climate, Ms. Cassella to oversee Grade 7, other areas
SALEM (Aug. 19, 2024) – Eliza Cassella, who served the last two years as the Director of Social and Emotional Learning, Culture and Climate at the Collins Middle School, was named the Assistant Principal at Collins, Principal Gavin Softic announced recently.
Ms. Cassella has served in educational leadership for more than a decade and holds two master’s degrees and several certifications.
“We are so excited to have Eliza join our leadership team this school year,” said Mr. Softic. “Her experience integrating social emotional learning into the everyday learning environment for staff and students makes her a unique talent that we are very fortunate to have in our community.”
Among other duties, Ms Cassella will oversee grade 7 and and help support the implementation of the new Student Success Advisor model, the integration of restorative practices across the school, and CREW 2.0, a space for Connection, Reflection, Excellence, and making real World connections.
“I feel an overwhelming sense of joy, gratitude, and excitement to be transitioning into the Assistant Principal role at Collins Middle School,” said Ms. Cassella. “Collins Middle School is cultivating something very special for students and educators, and you can feel and sense that when you walk through the doors. It’s electric.
“Through the culture and climate building last year, evidenced by attendance rates, an increased access to innovative learning, and a deeply authentic investment from the staff, Collins Middle School is the place to be,” she added. “I’m ready to hit the ground running and continue to build with the extraordinary team which I am joining.”
After earning her undergraduate degree from Assumption College in 2010, Ms. Cassella spent five years at City Year, a Boston-based nonprofit which assists schools in the U.S. and several other countries in developing young leaders through its programs. She began at City Year as an Americorps member serving in a resource classroom delivering targeted interventions in English language arts (ELA) and math. Additionally, she co-led the extended day program before moving on as the Team Leader at the Dearborn Middle School STEM Academy.
Ms. Cassella held several leadership positions, including National Literary Lead, for which she worked with a team to implement evidence-based literacy interventions for corps members across the country. She was also named City Year’s Team Leader of the Year.
Ms. Cassella’s tenure in Boston Public Schools included serving as a classroom teacher and in positions of leadership at the Edwards Middle School in Charlestown and East Boston High School. She served as a Humanities teacher at Edwards and moved on to EBHS as the Dean of Student and Family Engagement, Director of Partnerships in Career Technical Education Pathways and Instructional Coach in EBHS’s Grade 7 redesign implementation.
Concurrently, she was the girls’ junior varsity basketball coach and an assistant varsity basketball coach for the Jets.
Ms. Cassella is currently a part-time adjunct professor at Assumption, a role she accepted last year.
Ms. Cassella earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Service and Rehabilitation Studies and Speech Language Pathology at Assumption. She has since earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from UMass Boston in 2018 and a second in Education in Specialized Studies from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2021.
Ms. Cassella also holds leadership certifications from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice in partnership with Tufts University Tisch College of Civic Life (2016) and Educational Leadership and Administration from the Perrone Sizer Institute for Creative Leadership (2017).
“Eliza is driven and committed to the students of Collins,” said Mr. Softic. “Her work ethic is fueled by her passion and authentic belief in an equitable education experience where all students feel a sense of connectedness and belonging that maximizes their genius.”
A native of New Britain, Conn., Ms. Cassella is an alumnae of the Kingswood Oxford School in West Hartford, Conn. She resides in East Boston, Mass.
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are all passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens we view all of our work through. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff serve all of our students, regardless of ability or language. Salem Public Schools enrolls approximately 4,000 students across its eleven schools.
