The Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary Education appointed Sarah McGaughey to the position of Director at the Rhode Island School for the Deaf on Tuesday, May 23, 2023; with her position beginning July 1, 2023. This appointment was made after the Rhode Island School for the Deaf Board of Trustees recommended Sarah McGaughey for the role.
The search for the next Rhode Island School for the Deaf Director began in January 2023, with the school community and focus groups developing a leader profile to evaluate applicants. The search committee, composed of teachers, staff, parents, community members, and alumni interviewed the candidates and selected two finalists. The search process concluded with finalists visiting the RISD campus for two days. The visits culminated in finalist interviews with the Board of Trustees.
Sarah McGaughey said, “It is an absolute honor to be selected as the next Rhode Island School for the Deaf Director. I want to thank the RISD Board of Trustees and the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education for their confidence and trust in the leadership that I plan to bring to the school. I look forward to saying hello to all of the children, staff, parents, RIDE, alumni, and other constituents who are critically important to the success of our school and its future.”
Innivee Strategies, Inc. wishes to thank the Rhode Island School for the Deaf community for participating in the search process, especially those who provided support as staff and volunteers. We also wish to thank the Rhode Island School for the Deaf for entrusting our company with facilitating the Director search process. We look forward to the future of Rhode Island School for the Deaf under Sarah McGaughey’s leadership!
About Sarah McGaughey
Sarah McGaughey is currently the Elementary Principal at Marie Philip School at The Learning Center for the Deaf. After graduating from Gallaudet with a specialist (PsyS) and graduate (MA) degrees in School Psychology, and a special education teaching license from Bridgewater State University, Sarah has been actively involved in Deaf Education for the past twenty years as a Principal, Assistant Principal, School Psychologist, Early Childhood Specialist, and Elementary Teacher. Sarah’s focus has been on developing the whole child through social-emotional learning, teacher-caregiver connections, and identity building. Sarah is committed to disseminating knowledge to support educators. She has worked with education leaders in the fields of Deaf education and school leadership both nationally and internationally. She partnered with colleagues to work closely with the Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD) in providing leadership development training as part of a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grant. Sarah has also co-authored two chapters in a professional book for pre-and in-service educators to support their knowledge and expertise in the area of reading and writing.
About the Rhode Island School for the Deaf
Rhode Island School for the Deaf (RISD or RISDeaf) is a school for deaf students established in 1876. RISD serves deaf and hard-of-hearing students in grades preschool through high school. RISD believes strongly in students becoming bilingual in ASL and English. To learn more about RISD, please visit their website at www.rideaf.ri.gov.
About Innivee Strategies, Inc.
Innivee Strategies, Inc. provides organizations with systemic frameworks that enable them to build a strong strategic direction toward their desired vision. We engage leaders and stakeholders in collaborating together to choose the best governance model, set leadership, staff, and volunteer expectations, align and optimize resources, and manage change. Innivee Strategies is a leading search firm in the recruitment and placement of executives and leaders of organizations that serve the Deaf and hard of hearing community. Our services also include Effective Governance, Organizational Assessment, Strategic Planning, Change Management, Executive Support Systems, Leadership Development, and Guided Facilitation. Please visit www.innivee.com to learn about our clients and their testimonies about how our services have benefited their organizations.
