A woman waits, excitement coursing through her veins. She does not feel nervous; she has done this many times before. She knows what this new job entails, because she has held this position in another district for fifteen years. She has already gone through the first interview as well. The superintendent and her possible predecessor conduct her next interview, and she leaves feeling a rush of contentment. She knows she has done well. Soon after, the woman receives the job she felt so excited to apply for, in a district she already finds impressive.

Revere Local Schools hired Kathy Nolan as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction as of August 1, 2015. After many years serving various positions and multiple school districts, Nolan applied for her new job after working for the Ohio Department of Education. Nolan, who lives in Massillon, Ohio, feels proud to join the Revere family and excitement for her newest job.

“I love curriculum work, I love working with teachers and other principals, and it felt like it was a really good fit for me,” Nolan said.

Nolan first studied to be a teacher, and remained in that role for eleven years before she became a building principal for five years for Massillon City Schools. Nolan then moved on to take the role of Director of Curriculum for that district for fifteen years, and she also served the Ohio Department of Education for the Race to the Top grant for four years. Her past experiences in various positions in education played an important role in Nolan’s consideration for her new job at Revere, as superintendent Matthew Montgomery stated.

“Nolan has a rich background that is unparalleled by any other applicant we saw. She is versed in curriculum and instruction to a level that was far above her peers. She had this wealth of diversity in her experience, and she knows curriculum like no one else I have ever met, and that is the type of leader you want. You want somebody who really knows curriculum that is an expert and a sage,” Montgomery said.

The central office staff consists of the superintendent, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and the Director of Student Services. The two directors serve directly underneath the superintendent and their roles impact much of the district. Nolan explained her job in terms of how it impacts the district.

“We are looking at all aspects of the district and how it functions, from the finances, the facilities, the curriculum, the community outreach, and planning for the future as well. We are also doing a project that is called curriculum mapping that I am sort of spearheading. Basically what that means is that we are looking at a K-12 perspective of everything that is taught in all of the content areas in every grade level, so that we see some continuity between each of the grade levels, and we reduce the amount of duplication and any sort of gaps or holes that may be present [in the curriculum],” Nolan said.

Nolan supervises technology implementation and use in the district as well. Though her job plays a huge role in the Revere School District, Montgomery feels confidence in her.

“She is doing an outstanding job. She is acknowledging everything that we are doing that is so amazing to meet the needs of students while still asking the questions about how we can improve as a district,” Montgomery said.

Revere Board of Education President Claudia Hower voiced her opinion on Nolan’s progress as the Director of Curriculum as well.

“So far, I have been impressed [with Nolan, and] . . . I am very hopeful that she is going to put [the school district] in a better place,” Hower said.

Nolan expressed that she finds herself amazed with Revere so far.

“[Revere] is a sleeping giant. The community is exemplary, [and] the students are amazing. I have been in classrooms in all of the buildings thus far, and I find the students to be eager to learn and very responsive to their teachers,” Nolan said.

Looking forward, Montgomery feels Nolan fits her new position and has already proven her importance to Revere.

“She is an asset to the district and I think with her leadership and her insight, we will continue to evolve. It is a challenge, in my opinion, to take a high-performing district and show growth, and I think Kathy Nolan is the person to do that,” Montgomery said.

Nolan enjoys working for Revere, using her interactions with the people in it to help her learn more about the world. As her next adventure in her fulfilling life, Nolan feels thrilled to find a home at Revere and excited for the future.