PEABODY — Peabody Veterans Memorial High School (PVMHS) has a new assistant principal.
Dr. Samantha Meier comes to Peabody from Salem, where she served as Salem High School principal for the last two years.
Meier said she was excited to work with Peabody Superintendent of Schools Dr. Josh Vadala and PVMHS Principal Steven Magno.
“These are people I know are focused on students and their learning and doing the right thing on equity,” Meier said. “It’s a good feeling for me to join forces with them again and to join Peabody.”
“We are very fortunate to have Dr. Meier coming to Peabody High School,” said Vadala. “She has an incredibly impressive resume. She was the unanimous choice of the search committee and then met the ALT (Administrative Leadership Team) and also was again the unanimous pick. I can’t say enough about her as an instructional leader and as an advocate.”
Meier brings a wealth of experience in both the classroom and administrative sides of education. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and went on to receive her master’s in animal sciences and doctorate degrees in urban education and leadership at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.
She served as a quartermaster second class in the U.S. Coast Guard from December 1995 to May 2000. Meier then began her career in education in August 2000 as a science teacher, teaching biology and physics at Revere High School.
She also served as vice principal from August 2006 to June 2015. She was appointed principal at the Garfield Middle School in Revere in July 2015, serving in that position until July 2018 when she moved up to deputy principal at Revere High.
Fluent in both German and Spanish, Meier also has experience in higher education, having served as an adjunct professor at UMass-Boston from January 2015 through December 2107.
School Committee member Beverley Griffin Dunne said she is confident that Meier will enjoy her time at the high school.
“It’s a wonderful school and we’ve got a lot of awesome students up there,” Dunne told Meier during a recent committee meeting. “I know you have a really good experience up there and can keep us moving forward.”
Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr., who chairs the School Committee, complimented Meier on her experience.
“Your resume was outstanding and I am very happy to have you on board,” Bettencourt said. “There’s a lot of work for all of us going forward to rebound from the pandemic and I am very excited about the future of PVMHS.”
Committee member John Olimpio added a little humor, saying that Meier has a daunting challenge on her hands.
“You’re going to have to learn the bulls-up cheer and I’m wondering if you have been practicing that,” he said.
Meier accepted the challenge without hesitation.
“I’m a quick learner,” Meier responded. “I’ll figure it out.”
