Donahue Principal Dr. Marc Swygert has been selected to serve as the principal cabinet representative on the Holyoke Public Schools district leadership team for the 2026-27 school year. In this role, he brings his districtwide perspectives and strong relationships he’s built across schools over the past decade.
“I appreciate the opportunity to represent the principals’ voice with the cabinet,” he said. “I have had the opportunity to work in elementary, middle, and high school settings during my 10-year tenure in Holyoke Public Schools. While my most recent and intensive experience has been at the elementary level, I have significant context for the other schools.”
Dr. Swygert has worked in elementary, middle, and high school buildings since he joined Holyoke Public Schools in 2016, and he has been an educator in other settings since 1998. Dr. Swygert has served as principal of Donahue Elementary since 2017. He also regularly works with students and families from other schools, including former students.
“Dr. Swygert will bring a number of important perspectives to the role,” said Superintendent Jackie Glasheen. “He is an excellent listener who takes an intentional leadership approach to understanding the needs of his staff, students, and families. He is well positioned to provide insight and support to district leaders through well-established collaborative efforts with his colleague principals from other buildings.”
Superintendent Glasheen said she also values Dr. Swygert’s strong knowledge of special education law and instructional practices. “His experience and knowledge at the table, aligned to our priority of high quality tier-1 instruction with inclusive practices, will help us better serve some of our most vulnerable students,” she said.
Dr. Swygert values face-to-face conversations and collaboration with other school leaders. For example, he said, “I visit schools to check in with principals. These informal conversations have helped me understand what’s happening in other schools and also to connect more deeply with other building principals. These opportunities have built a foundation of professional trust, which I will continue to build in this new role.”