Mystic Valley charter school hires new executive director

By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent

Mystic Valley Regional Charter School has hired a new executive director, the school announced.

Martin Trice, formerly head of school at the South Shore Christian Academy in Weymouth, replaces Joseph McCleary, who effectively retired at the beginning of this school year.

Trice, who has 25 years of teaching experience, has worked at the elementary, secondary, and higher education levels.

His career began in 1982 at Rockland High School as an AP psychology teacher, and continued in 1987 at Lexington Christian Academy, where he moved into administration, eventually serving at Dean of Students.

In 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union, Trice served as consultant to he Ministry of Education in the Republic of Armenia.

The consultancy work was followed by a five-year stint as a vice president and faculty member at Eastern Nazarene College.

“Mr. Trice brings more than 25 years of education experience at all levels to Mystic Valley including international experience and we believe this experience will provide the school with the ability to reach an even higher level of excellence in the coming years,” stated Neil Kinnon, chairman of the Board of Trustees, in a statement.
 
In a welcoming message delivered to the Mystic Valley faculty and staff, Trice said “I am thrilled to be joining the Mystic Valley school community.  This school has accomplished much in a short period of time.  I come with a deep sense of responsibility to carry on the traditions that have made Mystic Valley one of our state’s and even nation’s finest schools."

Mystic Valley Spokesman Martin Gately said the new executive director is not related to another staffer of the same name, art teacher Shawn Trice.