Superintendent Discusses Student Voice

Articles, Community
January 13, 2022
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Avi Shapira

ONLINE EDITOR

In June of 2021, Dr. Magda Parvey was hired by Andover Public Schools (APS) for a three-year term as superintendent, replacing interim superintendent Dr. Claudia Bach.

Bach was hired as temporary superintendent at the beginning of 2021 after Dr. Sheldon Berman left at the end of 2020. Berman started as superintendent in 2015.

Parvey is also the first superintendent of color in Andover.

In explaining why she chose to take a job in this particular town, Parvey stated that “Andover had a good reputation of academic excellence and forward thinking in terms of education, students, and equity.” Parvey was the chief academic officer in Middletown, Connecticut before taking a job in Andover. Previously, she was an assistant superintendent, and before that, a teacher and principal. Before moving to Andover, she served in district-level roles for 13 years.

After teaching for seven years, Parvey figured she “could have wider impact” if she took on a role where she could reach beyond just the students in her classroom. This made her decide to become a principal.

Parvey said that she has always had a passion for curriculum and instruction and working with both students and teachers. She wanted to do more work around the curriculum and help improve it. “[As superintendent], I have a hand in [the curriculum] without having my hand slapped for not following what someone else from central office was saying had to be done, whether I believed that it was good or not,” said Parvey. For this reason she decided to become assistant superintendent and work at the district level.

Becoming a superintendent during a pandemic has been challenging, but Parvey is glad she is able to do so in the middle rather than beginning of the pandemic. This year everyone is all in-person and has more certainty. “I don’t think anything has been easy,” Parvey said with a smile.

As the first superintendent of color in Andover, Parvey is able to bring another perspective to the mostly white administration of APS. “I get to show whatever beliefs there may be out there about students, adults, families of color, that… [people of color] have different experiences and perspectives and we do have a voice,” said Parvey. “I can actually push back and ask questions about the way things are done and always have been done and ask people, ‘Who does this benefit?’… ‘Are we really thinking about all of our students?’”

Figuring out how administrative decisions affect students is one of the things that are important to Parvey. She wants to hear the concerns of students, families, teachers and administrators. “People want to be heard,” she said.

In her six months as superintendent, Parvey has held office hours to talk to community members. She also plans on sending out a survey and holding focus groups with students and families. Generally, she has been trying to engage with the school community in student and community events. “I love the student performances, I love to see the student work,” Parvey said. “The job calls for genuine engagement and community building, and I think that’s important and that’s what I’m doing.”

In order to engage with students, Parvey has attended meetings with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Student Advisory Committee (DEI) and plans on attending Student Government Association (SGA) meetings. She described hearing “so much insight” from students. “They are our most valued customers, our prized possession… At the end of the day it’s about students,” she said.

Parvey added that she would like to hear more from students in the future.

“Change comes… from students saying ‘Here is what we really need.’ Adults are planning over here but students are like, ‘Stop planning, this is what we need.’ So I would like to hear from students and what they need,” said Parvey.

Besides hearing more from the community, Parvey wants Andover to live up to its reputation and make sure as many students as possible have an excellent experience. She is especially concerned about all minority students having good experiences regardless of their “race, gender and sexuality—all of those things that really [should not] matter when you’re talking about making sure you’re educating students and allowing them to feel like they have a voice.”

When Parvey is not working as superintendent, she likes to run, do pilates, read, and listen to music. After a busy job, one of her favorite things is “doing absolutely nothing and decompressing and trying to clear [her] head.”

Andoverview

Articles

NEASC Visit Highlights AHS Goals

April 3, 2026

Anushka Dole || ONLINE EDITOR

Andover High School hosted a re-accreditation visit from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) from March 16-18, as part of a decennial review process designed to evaluate how well AHS supports student learning and identify areas of improvement.

According to Assistant Principal Alicia Linsey, the process started during the 2023-2024 school year with a visit from the Collaborative Conference team, a group of visiting educators from across the New England area. In preparation for the visit, a team of AHS faculty members and administrators was formed.

“We picked out priority areas and presented those to this visiting NEASC committee … and they agreed with [our priority areas],” said biology teacher Lindsey L’Ecuyer, the AHS committee’s science department representative.

There were five priority areas that AHS pledged to work on starting in the 2023-2024 school year: developing the Vision of a Graduate, implementing consistent curricula throughout all departments, vertical/horizontal alignment across departments and throughout grades, promotion of school pride, and building infrastructure.

The Vision of a Graduate outlines the skills and values that the school hopes to instill in every student by the time they graduate.

Vertical alignment refers to improving coordination between teachers across grade levels to ensure student skills build progressively, while horizontal alignment emphasizes greater collaboration between teachers across departments.

“[The committee is] working on … finding time in the school day for teachers to collaborate more,” L’Ecuyer said, adding that AHS has begun standardizing curricula to support this effort.

“There are committees in the school that have been working on documenting curriculum in a consistent format for our core classes … freshman English, for example, [and] biology,” L’Ecuyer said.

Linsey mentioned that students and parents also play a role in the accreditation process. A team of visiting evaluators—distinct from the Collaborative Conference team—conduct interviews to gather student perspectives on the school climate and learning experiences.

Although the committee leads the reflection process, administrators are then responsible for implementing action plans based on their findings. In accordance with these plans, faculty members must provide evidence of integration of the district goals.

L’Ecuyer emphasized that NEASC accreditation is more about reflecting on and improving school processes than it is about recognition.

“It’s less of a badge as it is opening yourself up to reflecting on and documenting what you do well and what it’s like setting goals for your school,” L’Ecuyer said.

Beyond internal reflection and planning, the “badge” that the reaccreditation process provides does carry additional, tangible benefits for students. It reassures families and colleges that AHS maintains a rigorous academic program, and that it’s constantly working towards improving learning.

“My understanding is that colleges know Andover High School—they know what our programs are like,” L’Ecuyer said. “[Because] of [accreditation] … they know the kinds of students that graduate from here, and what skills that [they] have.”

Accreditation also plays a role in the school’s ability to receive funding.

“NEASC accreditation is required for eligibility to receive some private, state, and federal grants, loans, and other federal funds,” Linsey noted in an email.

Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother Poor On Release, Rich in the Present

April 3, 2026

Michael A. Catino || CORRESPONDENT

You might look at this album and think there is nothing special about it. What’s so innovative about a cow’s photograph plastered on a cover? But once you look past this spotted bovine, you’ll be enthralled and entertained by its genius mix of sound and music. The name of this unique album is Atom Heart Mother by the Floyd that is Pink, simply known as “Pink Floyd.”

Two songs come to mind that truly represent the nature of the progressive rock band’s predecessor to the “dark side of the mooooon.” Let’s begin with the relaxed and free spirited “Summer ‘68.” When you first lend your ears to this particular song, there is a moment reminiscent of a movie character running and frolicking through a field: free from the burdens of life. Starting off with its slow piano, strumming of the guitar, and the simple question “How do you feel?”.

Now let’s listen to the second and more outlandish song, “Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast.” This 12-minute instrumental puts you in a state of mind akin to waking up in your home or a grand hotel enjoying a well-prepared meal. Emphasis given by its long piano solos and use of real-life sounds of people talking and sizzling bacon. I celebrate this album for the achievements it’s made in taking Pink Floyd into new fields away from their usual bass, drums, and electric guitars, as well as creating touching, realistic lyrics ubiquitous in the band’s future work.

But like all great things, there are some moments that can feel a little lackluster. Like the album’s opening song of the same name, Atom Heart Mother. It seems to drag on with a random assortment of sounds that make you wish the song to end. Sounds in this instrumental include trumpets, synthesized keyboards, a choir, and warped organ pipes. It also doesn’t work in its favor that the track is over 23 minutes long, and maybe if it were cut down to half its run time, it would align better with its neighboring melodies.

All in all, what I have mentioned to you is only half of what gives Atom Heart Mother its majestic tone. The other half is up to your interpretation.

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Superintendent Discusses Student Voice

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