Providence, RI – The Providence Public School Department is
pleased to announce the appointment of two administrators as executive directors.
Rachel Mellion of North Providence, R.I., has been named Executive Director of the
Office of Transformation and Innovation and will be responsible for overseeing the
district’s lowest-performing elementary, middle and high schools. In leading the
Office of Transformation and Innovation, Mellion will develop the overall strategic
direction and organizational culture needed to drive dramatic, transformational
improvement in student achievement, a positive climate for student success,
effective engagement of parents and the community and the development of a
high-performing faculty and leadership team in each underperforming school.
Mellion most recently served as executive director of curriculum and instruction for
the Providence School Department and was responsible for leading critical
curriculum, instruction, assessment and professional development initiatives for
Providence’s approximately 1,900 teachers. Since joining the Providence School
Department in 1998 as an English as a Second Language teacher at Webster Avenue
Elementary School, Mellion has developed broad experience as an educator and
administrator. She served as a Reading First coach, also at Webster Avenue, and as
principal of George J. West Elementary School from 2007-2011.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education (Behavioral Science),
with magna cum laude distinction, from the University of Hartford and two master’s
degrees in education from the University of Rhode Island in Reading and
Administration.
Scott Sutherland of Warwick, R.I., an elementary and high school principal in
Providence Schools for nearly 20 years, has been named the new Executive Director of
Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Learning. He will be responsible for the
administration of the department as well as providing leadership for the designing,
planning, development, implementation and monitoring of districtwide curriculum and
instruction programs in K-12 academics, including reading, English, mathematics,
science, social studies, world languages, special education, CTE, technology
integration and instructional initiatives.
Most recently, since 2012, Sutherland served as principal of Mt. Pleasant High
School. In 2005, he was named principal of Hope High School, where he served for
seven years, and led the
school to full accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges,
reduced the dropout rate from 33% to 18% and increased the graduation rate at Hope
Arts High School by nearly 20 percentage points. He also served as principal of
Cooley High School and Carl Lauro and Feinstein/Sackett Street Elementary Schools.
Sutherland holds a bachelor of science degree in education from Rhode Island College
and a masters of administration degree from Providence College.
