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Administration

Central Administration Office    781-310-1000

Dedham Public School District
100 Whiting Avenue, Dedham, MA 02026

E-mail: first letter of first name and full last      i.e. name@dedham.k12.ma.us

Superintendent of Schools

Nan Murphy

Central Office
School: 7813101000

Ms. Murphy comes to Dedham from Marblehead Public Schools, where previously served as the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. Ms. Murphy was selected in a unanimous vote by the Dedham School Committee in January 2023.  She began her tenure as Dedham's Superintendent on July 1, 2023.

Nan Murphy brings a wealth of educational experience to the district, including six years as a school principal in Lowell, MA, where she led the transformation of an underperforming, high-needs elementary school and was recognized by DESE Commissioner Chester for the school’s quality improvements. She has supported statewide school improvement efforts at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, as well as in her time as an administrator in Lowell Public Schools.

Ms. Murphy has a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Gordon College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Trinity College of Vermont.

Deputy Superintendent

Dr. Ian Kelly

Central Office
School: 7813101000

Dr. Ian Kelly has served the Dedham Public Schools since 2016. Dr. Kelly’s roles and responsibilities in Dedham have included Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (2016-2022), Interim Superintendent (2023), and, most recently, Deputy Superintendent with direct responsibility for all finance and operational departments throughout the District.

Prior to joining the Dedham Public Schools, Ian served the Natick Public Schools as an elementary principal for eight years, worked as an assistant principal and classroom teacher for the Needham Public Schools, and, very early on, taught second grade in the Boston Public Schools and Norfolk, VA Public Schools. 

Dr. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Frostburg State University, a Master of School Administration degree  from Cambridge College, and a Doctorate of Educational Leadership from Boston College. Ian is a member of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS) and the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials (MASBO). 


When not at work Ian enjoys spending time with his wife and children, finding time to get out on the water and fish, and building anything that requires assembly from legos and puzzles to decks and outdoor swings. 
 

Assistant Superintendent, Student Services

Dr. Sara Stetson

Dr. Sara Stetson has 30 years of experience in educational leadership. She has worked as a school psychologist, LD Specialist, special education department head, special education director, and assistant superintendent. She has led special education, 504, McKinney-Vento, Title One, ELL, social work, district safety, civil rights, nursing, mental and behavioral health; and multiple competitive grant projects.

Dr. Stetson has been on the faculty of Rivier University for 23 years, teaching courses in assessment, school psychology, learning disabilities, and cognition. Dr. Stetson is the recipient of the university’s Benoit Outstanding Educator Award, a national AASA award for literacy, a national Magna award for building mental health systems, a NH DOE parent involvement award, and a national Title One Circle of Excellence award for closing the gap. Dr. Stetson’s work in literacy was chronicled in the documentary: Blame it on Gutenberg and highlighted in the Boston Globe. Her work in using robots with preschoolers with autism was highlighted by WCVB News, her work in building career ladders for paraprofessionals was highlighted by DESE and MASBO, her work in Universal Design for Learning was highlighted in the MAPLE Bright Spot; and her work in systems of mental health care was featured in an AASA SEL case study.

Dr. Stetson has a BA in developmental psychology, an M. Ed. in learning disabilities and reading, a CAGS in school psychology, an Ed. D. in Leadership and Learning, and a graduate certificate in Educational Equity, Racial Understanding, and Organizational Transformation.

Dr. Stetson presents at conferences across the US and Canada on topics such as UDL, numerical cognition, leadership, and dyslexia. Dr. Stetson is an instructor for The Reading Circuit and the ACCEPT Collaborative; and she is a committee leader for The Reading League.

 

 

 

Assistant Superintendent, Teaching & Learning

Dr. Heather Smith

 

 

Dr. Heather Smith has been with Dedham Public Schools since 2017, serving as Dedham’s PK-8 Humanities Curriculum Coordinator, Interim Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment and Director of Teaching, Learning, & Innovation.  She was appointed to the role of Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning in July 2024.  

Her leadership in Dedham has included oversight of a two-year English Literacy curriculum review and revision which involved students, families, teachers, and administrators.  She currently serves on the Modern Language Association’s Committee on K-16 Alliances.    

Dr. Smith came to Dedham having previously spent over 13 years teaching and leading learning as an elementary school principal, assistant principal and English Language Arts teacher.  She has also taught at as an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Education in the Graduate School of Education,  the Rhode Island College teaching Educational Leadership Program for School Administrators, and Community College of Rhode Island’s English Department teaching English.   

Dr. Smith holds a Doctorate in Education from  Johns Hopkins University School of Education,  a Masters in Education from Rhode Island College, a Masters of Arts & Teaching from Brown University, and her B.A. from Wheaton College (MA). 

Outside of school she enjoys spending her free time working spending time with family, gardening, and making pottery.