After nearly three
years leading New Hampshire’s largest school district, Manchester Superintendent
Dr. Debra Livingston has announced she will retire, effective October 1, 2016. Dr. Livingston has been an energetic
advocate for all children and public education for more than three decades. She
arrived in Manchester from Fall Mountain Regional School District in the summer
of 2013 and has led many successful initiatives here.
The Manchester Academic Standards developed
during Dr. Livingston’s tenure reflects a focus on increased academic rigor,
technology-supported learning, and evidence-based instruction. The collaboration
among more than 60 Manchester teachers, curriculum specialists, and higher
education researchers resulted in the highest level of academic expectations
for all students in the Manchester School District.
Dr. Livingston is proud to have played a role in
implementing full day kindergarten in Manchester in 2014. She also created Manchester’s
Innovation Zone. The seven transforming i-Zone schools are encouraged to try
creative ways of teaching that have proven results and highly engage students
to successfully meet their learning needs. One of those schools, Parker-Varney
Elementary School, was a New Hampshire Excellence in Education award recipient
as the 2015 Elementary School of the Year and most recently received a national
School Innovation and Change Award.
“The team of faculty, staff and administrators
in our schools and at the district office is the best I’ve worked with in my
career,” said Dr. Livingston. “What we’ve achieved in Manchester and the high
quality education we provide to our kids are because of all the dedicated
people around me.”
Dr. Livingston has been involved with several organizations
that make a difference in the community and often partner with the school
district. Dr. Livingston serves on the board of trustees for the Granite YMCA
and on the City of Manchester Neighborhood Health Improvement Strategy
leadership team. Currently,
she is a New Hampshire Scholars board member, UNH Manchester advisory board
member, and serves as a core planning group member for the Northeast Educator
Effectiveness Alliance.
The Manchester Board of School Committee will
lead the search for a new superintendent.
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