Special Education Director Leaving Framingham Public Schools

Framingham Public Schools Special Education Director Betsey H. McKeon is leaving.

Framingham Patch has learned she announced she is retiring and will leave the district before the start of the 2013-14 school year.

Yesterday, June 17 Framingham Patch broke the news that Framingham Public Schools Director Anne Higgins was leaving. In a letter, Higgins said she was leaving the district to return to her law practice. She tendered her resignation, last week.

Higgins, was an education specialist at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education when she was hired in 2010 to head the bilingual, ESL and sheltered English department for the Framingham Public Schools. Before joining the state in 2007, Higgins taught Spanish and was director of bilingual education for Worcester public schools. She was hired by then-Superintendent of Schools Steven Hiersche.

McKeon was named Special Education Director in June 2010, by Hiersche. McKeon served as Assistant Director of the department under Pam Kauffmann, until she retired in 2010.

School Committee members were made aware of both departures in an email from Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott Monday.

Earlier this year,

One of the major findings of the report was that the achievement gap between the town's eight public elementary schools was widening.

McKeon is the sixth leader in the district to announce they are leaving this year.

In December, Fuller Middle School principal Juan Rodriguez announced he would retire at the end of the school year. Natick resident Sharon Seyller was hired last month to replace him.

Wilson Elementary School Principal Robin Welch announced his retirement in early 2013. .

In April, Cameron Middle School Principal Judith Kelley announced to staff and to parents she would be leaving after 10 years. Scott said he anticipates naming a replacement before school gets out next week.

Earlier this month, Stapleton Elementary School Principal William McDonald announced to his staff he is leaving at the end of this school year.

Editor's Note: After being hired, Superintendent of Schools Steven Hiersche named 4 new elementary schools, a new director of special education, new director of bilingual education and a new assistant superintendent of schools.

Scott has hired a new Director of Educational Operations Sonia Diaz, a new Assistant Superintendent of Schools Mark Prince and a Director of Curriculum and Professional Development Lori Digisi since starting in July 2012.

Digisi was hired in February 2013, Diaz last fall and Prince this month.

The Director of Educational Operations ($150,000) and the Director of  Curriculum and Professional Development are newly-created positions by Scott.

Previous Assistant Superintendent of Schools Christine Tyrie and John Brackett did the work of the Assistant Superintendent, Director of Curriculum and Professional Development and Director of Educational Operations, before leaving.