Liam Hurley, Assistant Superintendent/Chief Financial  & Administrative Officer

Responsible for: budgeting, school facility planning, enrollment analysis and forecasting, human resources, maintenance, payroll, accounts payable, purchasing, transportation, school operations and grants, food service and legal compliance with state reporting requirements.

Prior to becoming Assistant Superintendent, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer in July of 2016, Liam Hurley has worked in numerous financial and business  leadership roles.  Most recently, he served as Director of Finance for Natick Public Schools. Previously, he held the position of Director of Business Services for Shrewsbury Public Schools and the Assistant  Business Manager for Wellesley Public Schools. 

Prior to his educational career, Mr. Hurley was in the commercial real estate industry working for local and national investors performing sale and leasing transactions, developing and implementing business plans, asset management, and valuation and disposition analysis. 

He holds an B.A. in Political Science from Bates College and an MBA from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College.

Business, Finance & Planning Department

Kathy Lopes, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Kathy Lopes assumed her role as the district's first Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in July 2020.

Ms. Lopes joins Newton as a licensed clinical social worker and educator with extensive experience in education, mental health, non-profit, and government sectors.

Prior to this role, Ms. Lopes was the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at METCO, Inc and previously appointed as the Assistant Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. She has held numerous administrative roles in primary, secondary and post-secondary education in both Washington, DC and Boston, MA. She is a longstanding adjunct faculty member at Simmons University School of Social Work, facilitating courses on Dynamics of Racism and Oppression, Urban Leadership, and Social Policy.

Lopes received her MSW from Simmons College and her BA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Kathy Lopes
Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Email Kathy Lopes

Angela Sasso
Administrative Assistant
Email Angela Sasso

Room 202
100 Walnut Street
Newton, MA 02460
Tel: 617-559-9025

S. Ayesha Farag, PH.D
Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education

Responsible for: elementary education, SPACE Camp, Understanding our Differences, Title I, Residency, Out-of-Assigned-District (elementary). 

Ayesha Farag joined the NPS Central Administration Team as the Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education in Fall 2021, after eight years as the principal of the Williams Elementary School in Newton. Prior to coming to Newton, Ayesha served as a principal at the elementary and middle level in Maine after having begun her career as a middle school teacher and a school counselor. Ensuring schools are places of joy, belonging, challenge, and engagement for all students drives Ayesha’s work as an educator. 

Ayesha holds an undergraduate degree from Bates College, a Master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a Certificate of Advanced Studies from the University of Southern Maine, and a Doctorate from Lesley University.

Jill Murray Grady, General Counsel

Jill Murray Grady supports the Newton Public Schools as General Counsel.   Prior to assuming the role of General Counsel, Jill provided legal services and support to Newton Public Schools in her role as Assistant City Solicitor within the City of Newton Law Department.  Jill advises the School Committee on matters such as Open Meeting Law, School Committee process, policies, and collective bargaining. She also works closely with Central Administration and school-based administrators in matters involving student discipline, public and student records, labor and employment matters, and special education. Jill also serves as counsel in litigation matters in federal and state courts, as well as state administrative hearings at the Bureau of Special Education Appeals and Department of Labor Relations and arbitrations.

Prior to working with the Newton Public Schools, Jill worked in the legal department of Boston Public Schools for several years, and for a law firm that represented municipalities. 

Jill received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College and her JD from Boston College Law School.

Jill Murray Grady
General Counsel
Email Jill Murray Grady

Dr. Joany Santa, Director of Human Resources

Responsible for: recruitment and staffing, labor and employee relations, benefits and compensation, diversity, and compliance

Human Resources

Dr. Joany Santa

Director of Human Resources
Email Dr. Joany Santa

Room 201
100 Walnut Street
Newton, MA 02460
617-559-6005

Steven Rattendi, Director of Information Technology and Library Services

Prior to taking on the role of Director of Information Technology and Library Services in August 2018, Steven was a mathematics teacher, Mathematics Department Chair, and interim Vice Principal at Newton South High School. Steven earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Hamilton College and a Masters of Science in Teaching at Boston College with a focus on Mathematics Education. He completed his administration certification through the EDCO Collaborative's Educator Leadership Institute.

David P. Stickney, Director of Facilities

The Newton Public Schools Facilities Department oversees many areas of responsibility across twenty-one school buildings and one administration building.  The areas include repair and maintenance of buildings, grounds, and mechanical equipment.  The department supervises eighty-five school custodians that are responsible for day-to-day maintenance.  An average of 4,000-5,000 work orders for repair and maintenance are processed each year.  The department is responsible for a building rental program that enables the community to utilize buildings for a wide variety of events, from sports to cultural activities.  There are over 1,200 permits for building rental each year.  In addition, the Facilities Department is charged with oversight for safety and security programs and environmental and sustainability programs.

Toby N. Romer, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education and Special Programs 

Responsible for: secondary schools, METCO, career & technical education, language acquisition, special assignments, Community Education and summer school. 

Prior to becoming Assistant Superintendent in July of 2015, Toby Romer worked in numerous teaching and leadership roles at the secondary as well as elementary level. Most recently, he served as Director of Professional Development and Data Inquiry at the Orchard Gardens K-8 School, an acclaimed former turnaround school in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood. Prior to that, he held the position of headmaster of Brighton High School, a large, diverse Boston public high school. In that role, he led a school reorganization and developed an extensive teacher leadership program during a period of sustained academic growth at the school.

Mr. Romer began his career as a substitute teacher and mentoring program coordinator in Boston, and went on to serve as a teacher, teacher leader, assistant headmaster and headmaster. He has taught Spanish, social studies, English as a second language and mathematics, as well as served as a leadership coach for teachers and principals.

He holds an A.B. in Social Studies and Education from Harvard College and an Ed.M. in School Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Toby Romer
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education and Special Programs
Email Toby Romer

Casey Ngo-Miller, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services

Prior to joining the Newton Public Schools as Assistant Superintendent for Student Services, Casey was the Deputy Superintendent for Student Services for the Public Schools of Brookline. Before taking on the role of deputy superintendent, Casey was the PreK-8 Director of Special Education. Casey holds a Masters in Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, as well as a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in School Psychology and a Master of Arts in School Psychology from Tufts University. 

Student Services Areas of Responsibility:

• Special Education
• Assistive Technology
• BCBA and ABA Services
• Deaf Services
• Home/Hospital Tutoring
• Homeless Student Support
• Medical Unit
• Occupational Therapy
• Orientation Mobility
• Out of District Programs
• Physical Therapy
• Preschool
• Proportionate Share
• Section 504
• Special Programs
• Social Work
• Speech/Hearing/Language
• Specialized Programs
• Title IX
• Vision Services 

Renee McCall, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning

Responsible for: academic programs K-12, curriculum coordinators K-8, home education K-12, professional development and English as a second language.