What this leadership shift means for the families, students, and staff that make WPS what it is.
WORCESTER— It’s official: Worcester Public Schools is making some major moves at the top, and two women who’ve been doing the work behind the scenes for years are now stepping into even bigger roles.
Starting July 1, Dr. Marie Morse will serve as the new Deputy Superintendent, and Sara Consalvo will take on the role of Chief Financial and Operations Officer—all under the incoming Superintendent Brian Allen, who begins his own new position on the same day.
If you’ve got kids in the Worcester school system or you’ve ever had to navigate IEP meetings, cafeteria menus, or late buses, these are the names you’re going to want to know. Because this leadership shakeup isn’t just administrative, it’s personal. And it’s local.
Who Is Dr. Marie Morse?
Dr. Morse is Worcester through and through. She’s been with the district since 1988, moving from classroom teacher to principal to assistant superintendent and now to deputy superintendent, second in command to Brian Allen.
If your child is in a multilingual program, special education, college & career readiness, or even plays high school sports, Morse’s fingerprints are already on the programs shaping their school experience.
She’s also made real change in the city’s toughest schools. As principal of Union Hill, she helped lead the school out of Level 4 turnaround status, earning a reputation for being a quiet force who gets results. That same energy earned her a court named after her at Union Hill just last fall.
Now, she’ll help lead a district of nearly 25,000 students and 5,000 staff members. That’s not just management; that’s legacy.
“I’m a WPS student, teacher, parent, and leader,” Morse said. “This isn’t just a job it’s my life.”
Who Is Sara Consalvo?
If Morse is holding down the classroom side, Sara Consalvo is holding down the books—and everything else behind the scenes.
Consalvo started with WPS in 2004 as a budget analyst. She’s worked her way up the ladder without flash or fanfare, becoming the go-to person for managing the district’s nearly $600 million budget. And now, she’ll take on even more, overseeing facilities, transportation, IT, school nutrition, and safety.
That means everything from making sure your kid’s bus route runs smoother to improving cafeteria access to making sure buildings don’t fall apart mid-year.
“Worcester is a model for how to manage school operations the right way,” Consalvo said. “And I’m ready to build on that.”
? Why It Matters for Families
Leadership in the school district can feel far away especially when your everyday concerns are about school lunches, discipline policies, or who picks your kid up after school. But these appointments matter because these are the women behind the systems you rely on.
Dr. Morse knows what our kids face. She’s led turnaround schools and sat across from Worcester parents in real conversations about equity, special ed, and discipline.
Sara Consalvo knows the budget—not just how to cut it, but how to spend it in a way that helps kids, especially those in under-resourced schools.
These two stepping up signals something: Worcester’s leadership is finally looking like the community it serves—and they’re not new to this; they’ve been doing this.
We’ll be watching to see what this new team does come fall. Until then, What’s Up Worcester salutes these hometown leaders stepping into well-earned roles—and hopes the city shows up to support them the way they’ve shown up for the city.
? Stay locked in with us for updates as this leadership shift unfolds.
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