Obed Morales, currently the principal at the East Somerville K-8 Community School, will be the next principal at Chelsea High School.
The Chelsea school department announced the appointment this week, and Morales will take the reins at Chelsea High on July 1.
“I am excited about Mr. Morales leading Chelsea High School,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Almi Abeyta. “He has a proven track record of improving teaching and learning, many years of experience at the high school level, and is bilingual. He is a highly-respected educator with a real passion for high school students.
“We are fortunate to have him join Chelsea Public Schools.”
Morales has been an educator for 24 years, and is currently in his third year as the principal at the East Somerville Community School.
“I will work hard to continue the legacy of success established at Chelsea High School by building strong relationships with teachers, staff, students, families, and community partners,” said Morales. “I believe that education is a partnership among and between the school and all stakeholders, and I am fully vested in partnering with each person to make sure every child succeeds at Chelsea High School.”
Prior to Somerville, Morales worked nine years as an assistant principal at the high school level. He was an assistant principal at Rolesville High School in Wake County, North Carolina, a position that he held from 2016-2019. Prior to that, he was Assistant Principal at Ida S. Baker High School in Lee County, Florida from 2015-2016, and before that he was Assistant Principal at East Lee County High School in Florida from 2010-2015.
He also has twelve years of teaching experience in mathematics at the middle grades and high school level.
“I am delighted to welcome Mr. Morales to the Chelsea community,” said School Committee Chairwoman Kelly Garcia. “For many years, our students and families have asked for a principal that is bilingual and is reflective of the student body and I am so excited to share with our families that our new principal is bilingual and a Latino. Mr. Morales joins us with an abundance of experience in the education field, 24 years to be exact, and is eager to join the Chelsea High family.” Morales has a Master’s of Education degree with a major in Educational Leadership from Florida Gulf Coast University and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science from St. Peter’s College of New Jersey. Morales and his wife have been married for thirty years and are parents of two adults: Dean, 29 years old and Alexis, 25 years old