Lowell Principal Donovan Named Interim Assistant Superintendent

Lowell School Principal Dari Donovan has been named Watertown's interim assistant superintendent for the 2011-12 school year.

Interim Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald announced the appointment along with the appointment of Donovan's replacement as Lowell principal, and the assistant principal at Hosmer School. The appointments were made July 13 and it was announced July 20 in a release sent out by Fitzgerald and Interim Director of Human Resources Ray Shurtleff.

Donovan takes over for Fizgerald, who was named interim superintendent by the School Committee after Superintendent Ann Koufman left the district to become an assistant superintendent in Newton.

"Dr. Fitzgerald is delighted to have Ms. Donovan work with her on the district’s agenda for 2011-2012," the release reads. "She is confident that her understanding of the strategic initiatives that we have begun in the district, her working knowledge of our schools and our school leaders, and all of the stakeholders in Watertown, will be a great benefit to the district in the year ahead."

Donovan taught in Watertown elementary schools for 18 years before she became Lowell principal in 2005. She spent a lot of time working on professional development and curriculum work in the district, according to the release.

Elizabeth Kaplan, a Watertown Middle School science teacher, will serve as Lowell's principal for the 2011-12 school year. She has taught at the Watertown Middle School since 2007, and prior to that she taught science at the Prospect Hill Academy Charter School in Cambridge from 2002 to 2006. From 2006 to 2007, Kaplan was the Science Department Coordinator at Prospect Hill in 2006-2007.

In her years in Watertown, Kaplan has been an active member of the district’s Professional Development Council, and the Educational Technology Task Force, along with several leadership and research roles at the middle school.

Hosmer Principal Anne Hardiman appointed MaryKate Fitzpatrick to be Hosmer's assistant principal. Fitzpatrick currently teaches kindergarten at Cunniff School.

Since 1992, Fitzpatrick has been a teacher at various elementary grade levels in Watertown, and prior to that at the St. Paul Elementary School in Wellesley. She has had a variety of teacher leader experiences in Watertown, with a particular and recent focus on early childhood initiatives and the district-wide data team.