Staff Report — August 15, 2025
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dr. Latifah Phillips, the new interim superintendent of the Pittsfield Public Schools, made her first appearance on WTBR’s “Morning Drive” Friday morning, outlining her background, educational philosophy, and priorities for the upcoming school year. Just six weeks into the role, Phillips conveyed both urgency and optimism as the district prepares for the return of students on August 28.
Speaking with host Shawn Serre, Phillips described a career path shaped by global experience and community-focused purpose. After starting in international trade in Mexico and teaching English in Japan, Phillips said it was her exposure to different cultures and her own upbringing as a first-generation college student that led her to a career in education.
“It was education that gave me these opportunities,” she said. “And that’s where I realized I want to go back to the United States and be an instrument for our communities and families like mine to have these opportunities.”
Phillips previously served as the assistant superintendent of equity for the Lowell Public Schools and has held administrative roles in Santa Fe and Philadelphia. She is also a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, which she said helped inform her commitment to inclusive and culturally responsive education. “I was often told that I was a bridge—between tribal education and Western education,” she said.
In Pittsfield, Phillips steps into a district facing both opportunities and challenges: a significant middle school reorganization, a major elementary school building project, and a push to improve family engagement and academic outcomes.
Reimagining Middle School
One of the most immediate projects under Phillips’ leadership is the district’s middle school reorganization plan, which aims to realign grades by campus—fifth and sixth graders at Herberg Middle School and seventh and eighth graders at Reid.
“It’s an aggressive timeline,” she acknowledged, “but I like the concept of it.” She emphasized that the reconfiguration is designed to better serve students’ developmental needs and provide targeted programming—especially for older middle schoolers approaching high school.
“For seventh and eighth grade, it’s an opportunity to focus on transition to high school and early career exploration,” Phillips said. “And the fifth and sixth grade campus is really open for design. We’ll work with teachers on that—because the success of the school lies with the teachers.”
Building from Within
With four new principals recently appointed—including three internal promotions—Phillips said she supports growing leadership talent from within.
“We need a strong pipeline from teacher to assistant principal to principal,” she said, noting that hiring externally remains a challenge, especially in areas like housing availability.
As for her own leadership, Phillips said she brings a disciplined but student-centered approach: “I was a strict teacher. I pushed my students to learn every day, but when they understand why you’re doing it, they’ll work hard for you.”
Equity and Engagement
Phillips emphasized the importance of disaggregating student data to identify disparities and target support—work she did extensively in Lowell. “The aggregate number doesn’t tell the whole story,” she said. “You have to see where your students are performing and then decide what you’re going to do differently.”
She also addressed family engagement, especially for multilingual families, emphasizing the difference between communication and relationship-building. “It’s not just transactional,” she said. “You need to make families feel welcome.”
Eye on the Future
Pittsfield is also moving forward with a long-anticipated elementary school building project to replace the aging Crosby Elementary and Conte Community schools. Phillips said the district is currently projecting future enrollment as part of the planning phase. “This building is going to be what it is for the next 20 years or more,” she said. “We’ve got to make sure it meets instructional and population needs.”
Asked whether she hopes to stay in Pittsfield beyond the interim period, Phillips said she’s all in: “I really love being here, and I would love to stay,” she said. “But I honor that I was brought on as an interim. So I’m being very thoughtful about how we move forward towards improvement until a decision is made , and I will keep the stability of the public schools always on my mind.”
As the district prepares to welcome students back in just under two weeks, Phillips said she’s energized by the work ahead.
“We need to deliver on the promise of high-quality public education,” she said. “Not just academics, but helping students develop into healthy, whole people.”
Editor’s Note: This article is based on the August 15 broadcast of WTBR’s “Morning Drive” and was written in part using ChatGPT. To view the entire program, visit https://pittsfieldtv.org/program/?id=53738. WTBR’s “Morning Drive” airs weekdays at 7:30 a.m. on 89.7 FM in Pittsfield and 88.1 in Lee; and is simulcast on Access Pittsfield channel 1301. The full interview with Dr. Phillips is available to view through PCTV Select.
