Mark G. Hurrie will be the next principal at the John F. Kennedy School.  He  is currently in his third year as the school’s assistant principal and will take on the top leadership position beginning this July. He is succeeding retiring Principal Dr. Anne Foley.

Hurrie has 11 years working in schools and has previously served as dean of students for the Mattacheese Middle School in Yarmouth prior to coming to Somerville. As Kennedy’s assistant principal, Hurrie played a key role, along with the principal and Instructional Leadership Team members, in building effective instructional teams that led to the Kennedy School earning a Level 1 designation from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education last year, the state’s highest accountability rating.

“We had nearly 30 applicants for this position and conducted a rigorous and thorough search for the next principal at the Kennedy School,” Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi said. “Mr. Hurrie has instituted improvements and built solid relationships during his tenure as assistant principal at the Kennedy School.  I am confident that his enthusiasm, demonstrated leadership skills and unwavering commitment to helping every student reach their maximum potential will ensure that the Kennedy School continues to thrive as an innovative and creative learning community.”

“I am grateful for the honor and privilege of getting to continue to build upon our trajectory of growth and achievement as the new principal of the John F. Kennedy School,” Hurrie said. “The Kennedy School is an amazing learning community, and I look forward to collaborating with parents, staff and community members to develop students who not only possess a deep subject knowledge but are also thoughtful and engaged citizens. Our mission is to instill a lifelong love of learning, and I look forward to our journey together.”

Hurrie’s emphasis on the use of data and development of high-impact student goals to target and drive student and educator achievement has had a direct impact on raising academic achievement at the Kennedy School. A hands-on administrator and educational leader with a focus on learning and collaboration to achieve results, he has been instrumental in developing high-quality professional development opportunities for teachers, and promoting safe and positive learning environments that support student academic achievement at his school and across the district.  Hurrie also places an emphasis on the effective use of technology and development of critical 21^st century learning skills to improve instruction and academic outcomes. He was a technology presenter at the statewide MassCUE (Massachusetts Computer Using Educators) Conference held at Gillette Stadium in 2010 and Holy Cross in 2011, presenting on “Formative Assessment using Google Apps” and “How to Design 21^st Century Project Based Learning Modules within the Rigor & Relevance Framework.”

Hurrie began his educational career as a middle and high school alternative education teacher in Mashpee, where he was also the junior varsity basketball and assistant varsity baseball coach. He then spent three years as a grade 7 world geography teacher and four years as an alternative learning placement teacher in Harwich. He earned his Master of Education from Endicott College in 2006 and is also a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in government. He was awarded a four-year baseball scholarship at Virginia and made the Atlantic Coast Conference Student-Athlete Honor Roll.