The Italian Home for Children’s Mary Savioli Pallotta Educational Center, a private special education school serving children with special education needs, announced the hiring of Shelly Hinds as the new Head of School.
Located on the Italian Home for Children’s Jamaica Plain campus, the Mary Savioli Pallotta Educational Center provides both academic and therapeutic services for students in grades K-8 with disruptive behavioral disorders, social or emotions concerns, or learning disabilities. In her new role, Ms. Hinds will work to build off the organization’s robust and successful history of providing community-based, state-of-the-art therapies structured to reintegrate the youth back into their communities.
“I am very excited to start this next chapter in my career at the Mary Savioli Pallotta Educational Center,” said Shelly Hinds. “Having spent over a decade in different educational environments focusing on family engagement, academic success, and community enrichment; the rich history of the school along with the wide continuum of care made this the perfect fit for my personal and professional passions.”
Before starting her new role at the Pallotta School, Ms. Hinds was the METCO Director at Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School, where she oversaw the criteria for student evaluation and implementation and served as a liaison between students from Boston, their families, school staff, and administration. Prior to her time at Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School, Ms. Hinds served as the assistant principal and dean of students at Holyoke Public School District.
“In her role as METCO Director, Shelly was an incredible advocate and voice for students and families. She cared deeply about the well-being and success of students and constantly found opportunities to help them excel both academically, socially and emotionally,” said Milly Arbaje-Thomas, President and CEO of METCO, Inc. “She worked diligently to encourage parent engagement and create a sense of community. Shelly is also a patient, caring and welcoming person. I am confident that all students and families at the Italian Home for Children will benefit greatly from her leadership and expertise.”
“Shelly loved our students and cared for them all as if they were her own,” said Pamela Jones, parent in the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School district and 17-year participant of the METCO program. “She is a great leader, and she inspired our children and made it fun for them to come to school. It was a pleasure to have met and worked with her.”
Ms. Hinds joins the Mary Savioli Pallotta Educational Center as the Italian Home for Children celebrates its 100th year anniversary and unique moment in the organization’s history. Founded in 1921, the then-named Home for Italian Children was established in response to the influenza epidemic that left hundreds of orphans in its wake. 100 years later, the organization’s mission came full circle as they successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the school continued their in-person educational services. The Italian Home for Children’s capability to support the community during once-in-a-century pandemics has remained stronger than ever.
“Shelly’s background in both school and clinical programs is the perfect match for the Pallotta School where we balance academics and therapeutic support,” said Susan Keays, Acting CEO and Chief Operating Officer at the Pallotta School. “The staff and students are very excited to benefit from Shelly’s knowledge and passion about developing a supportive school culture, tracking academic and therapeutic achievements, striving for equity and inclusion, and engaging parents and guardians. Shelly will lead the vision for the Pallotta School as we move on from this challenging school year and look forward to post-pandemic ‘new normal’ and all the school has to offer.”
Ms. Hinds obtained a B.S. from Lincoln University and M.S. in Urban Teaching from Wheelock. She also completed doctoral level coursework in Educational Leadership from University of Massachusetts and has her Principal K-12 license. She has served on the boards of the Boston Family Engagement Network and Fitchburg Arts Academy, and currently serves as an executive committee member of the Metropolitan Council for Education Opportunities.