Returning to Her Roots – Saugus native and career educator Carla Scuzzarella returns to Saugus High School as Associate Principal

By Mark E. Vogler

Saugus Public Schools announced in its recent community newsletter that lifelong Saugus resident and career educator Carla Scuzzarella – a 1976 Saugus High graduate – will be joining the school staff as the associate principal. “As she joins our team, Dr. Scuzzarella expressed, ‘I am happy to come back to my hometown high school, and am very excited about joining the administrative team at Saugus Middle High School,” a short article in the newsletter said in making the announcement. “I look forward to working with the staff, students and families to make SHS an even greater place to learn and teach. GO SACHEMS!!”

Welcome home.

Dr. Scuzzarella, who is a Precinct 10 Town Meeting member, was one of four finalists for the Saugus School Superintendent’s job in 2016. After the School Committee hired David DeRuosi, Jr. to lead the schools, Scuzzarella accepted the position of Principal/Deputy Director at Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School in Wakefield, which she will be stepping down from to accept the associate principal’s job.

Dr. Scuzzarella has spent 30 of her 44 years in the education field as an administrator. Prior to taking the Principal/Deputy Director’s position at the Voke, she was principal at North Andover High School for nine years. And previously, she was principal at Beverly High School for four years.

She began her career as a social studies teacher at Saugus High School in 1980. She was a member of the Saugus School Committee (1991-95), served on the Saugus Youth and Recreation Commission (1996-2005) and was a member of the Superintendent Search Committee (2013) that led to the hiring of Saugus Superintendent Michael Tempesta.

Dr. Scuzzarella married her high school sweetheart Frank Scuzzarella from the Saugus High School Class of 1976. They were married for 39 years before he passed away in 2022 after losing a battle to COVID-19. The Frank Scuzzarella Jr. Memorial Scholarship was created in his honor.

Scuzzarella has two sons who followed their parents’ paths through local schools. Michael and Robert are Saugus High graduates and coach at the school.

Dr. Scuzzarella has a Bachelor of Arts in History from Salem State College, a Master’s in School Administration from Salem State College and a Master’s in Political Science and a Doctorate in Education from Boston College.

Last fall she was named the Saugus-Everett Elks Club Educator of the Year. “It is especially meaningful to me as a Saugonian to be acknowledged by the Saugus-Everett Elks Club, and I am happy my boys were there to share the evening with me,” Dr. Scuzzarella said last year.

School Committee Member Ryan Fisher predicted the hiring of Dr. Scuzzarella would be a huge benefit to the school district and lead to the betterment of education at the high school. “She’s a lifelong educator and SPS is very much where she wants to be,” Fisher told The Saugus Advocate.

“She’s very much results oriented and I’m looking forward to the positive impact she’ll bring in the year ahead,” Fisher said. “She’s a lifelong Saugus resident, very active in local government on Town Meeting; she knows everyone in town and they know her.”

Micu introduced as associate middle school principal

This month’s community newsletter from Saugus Public Schools also introduced David Micu as the new Associate Principal of the Saugus Middle School.

He joined the Saugus Middle High School community this past school year (23/24) as the Middle School Assistant Principal. Micu has prior experience as a middle school math teacher, Dean of Students (K-12) and high school assistant principal in various Massachusetts public schools, according to the newsletter. Micu holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Western New England University and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership/School Administration from Cambridge College.

“I am thrilled to be stepping into the role of Middle School Associate Principal for the upcoming school year. Having been a part of this incredible community as the Middle School Assistant Principal this past year, I look forward to building on the many positive steps we have taken to improve the overall culture of the school and to continue creating opportunities for student success,” Micu said. “I am committed to working tirelessly alongside our dedicated staff, parents/guardians, and students to ensure that Saugus Middle School continues to be a place of growth, learning, and inclusivity.”