BPS superintendent makes more changes to leadership team

Boston Public Schools superintendent Brenda Cassellius in June.Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

Boston Superintendent Brenda Cassellius on Tuesday announced more changes to her leadership team, including replacements for recent departures and other shakeups that created some domino effects.

In one key change, Charles Grandson will move from chief academic officer to chief strategy officer, where he will oversee high-priority initiatives. He will be replaced by Andrea Zayas, who has been an academic superintendent in charge of a group of elementary schools since July and previously served as deputy chief academic officer.

In turn, Tommy Welch, who had been overseeing high schools as an academic superintendent, will focus on elementary schools in Charlestown and East Boston. Welch’s move created even more ripple effects. Lindsa McIntyre and Elia Bruggeman, the other two academic superintendents of high schools, will pick up Welch’s case load, while Sam DePina will add in safety services to his duties overseeing student supports in the newly created role of academic superintendent for high school operations.

Cassellius also announced that Al Taylor Jr., an academic superintendent for elementary schools, will become the new chief human capital officer, overseeing human resources and hiring. He fills a void left with the recent departure of Emily Kalejs Qazilbash. His elementary-school case load will be picked up by other academic superintendents overseeing those grade levels.

Charlene Briner, who worked with Cassellius in Minnesota as her deputy education commissioner, will serve as the interim chief of staff. She steps in for David Murphy, who announced his resignation a few weeks ago.

Finally, Corey Harris, chief accountability officer, will expand his duties to work directly with eight schools where the state is mandating broad changes.

The moves are the biggest changes Cassellius has made to her leadership team since assembling it in July, while she also has made temporary adjustments along the way as individuals have left.

“I’m confident these modifications to our organizational structure will strengthen our support to schools, improve our workflow, and enhance our continuous improvement ethos,” Cassellius said in a letter announcing the changes to her staff.