By Eva Liss
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
The absence of previous assistant principal Rebecca Perry, who was recently hired as Doherty Middle School’s principal, left a gap in AHS administrative staffing. Ganci, who was uniquely positioned as the ninth-grade coordinator to connect with students, families, and staff across many middle schools in the district, was hired as Perry’s replacement in late August.
Initially, Ganci said she was hesitant to give up her position as ninth grade coordinator, as she loved her job—especially the student-facing aspect, which enabled her to get to know over a quarter of the AHS population extremely well. Ganci said she applied rather late to the position because of this, and expressed that weighing the benefits of the ninth-grade coordinator job with the needs of the greater AHS community made her reconsider the impact she could have within the school. She also said she valued the opportunity to further aid the AHS community in being a supportive space for all.
“I developed a skill set through [ninth grade coordinating] to do this job,” said Ganci on her motivation to apply. “It felt like the next logical step—the right move for the school and the team. I care very deeply… about this school [and] the students… it just kind of made sense to… take that leap.”
Ganci worked as the ELA program coordinator for six years, before transitioning to the ninth-grade coordinator job at the start of last year, and though the positions’ responsibilities are different, she expressed that she wasn’t fazed. She said she was originally “absolutely intimidated” at the more disciplinary aspects of the assistant principal job, but that her work with last year’s freshman class prepared her more than she expected. In addition, Ganci considers herself driven by a strong sense of care and responsibility for her students, which aids her in overcoming her nerves.
“We’re advocates for students, even on their worst day,” Ganci said. “Just because [a student] had a bad day or… made a bad choice doesn’t mean… we’re not going to have faith in them. That’s what was really appealing to me.”
With all these staffing changes, the AHS community has been under continuous pressure to adapt to and incorporate new members of the administrative community. But both Ganci and new principal James “Jimmy” D’Andrea expressed gratitude for their reception to their new positions, and confidence that the students and staff would propel the school year in a continually positive direction. Ganci has aided with the ninth-grade coordinator role in the interim, as interviews were conducted during September and into early October.
“We’ll be fully transitioning once we hire a new person, but I think she has done an excellent job,” said D’Andrea. “We aim to build on that foundation in the coming year.”
The ninth-grade coordinator search was expected to end in the first week of October, after interviews from AHS staff, students, and families, as well as Andover Human Resources and Superintendent Parvey. The filling of this position marks the first time the AHS administrative staff has been complete, without any interim positions, since the 2022-2023 school year. Ganci is glad to be a part of it and feels that her main goal is to continue supporting the students and “rolling with [the changes.]”
“All students deserve somebody who’s going to advocate for them,” she said. “We’re able to help struggling students and make everyone feel welcome here. When we have these bumps… I just hope… students feel respected and understood.”
