SWAMPSCOTT — Superintendent of Schools Pamela Angelakis announced Thursday that she plans to retire from her position on June 30, 2025. The date aligns with her current contract with the district, which will expire at the conclusion of the next school year.
“My 35th year in the district will be my last,” Angelakis said.
She gave multiple reasons why she chose to make the announcement a year in advance, including keeping the focus on the new elementary school opening in the fall, giving the School Committee additional time to find her replacement, and being able to be present and involved in the search for her successor if needed.
A Salem native, Angelakis graduated from Salem State in 1989. She went on to earn master’s degrees in educational leadership and communications from Salem State and Columbia University, respectively. Angelakis’ entire professional career took place in Swampscott, as she rose through the ranks of the district. In 1990, she was hired as a teacher’s aide at the Clarke School. The next year, she was hired as a full-time teacher for the Machon School, where she would end up staying for 14 years. After eight years as the principal of Stanley School, she served as the assistant superintendent to Dr. Lynne Celli, before being chosen as her successor in 2014.
“I am sincerely grateful that the School Committee in 2014 was willing to take a chance on someone whose resume may not have been the most impressive in the pile, but who was intimately familiar with all aspects of this district,” Angelakis said.
She expressed gratitude for the relationships she developed with teachers, parents, students, and School Committee members throughout her tenure. She also promised to maintain the same level of dedication to her role in her final year of service.
“I am certain of the nobility of this profession, and I wouldn’t change a thing about my journey,” Angelakis said.
