Lisa Gilbert-Smith oversees all activities for the METCO program and serves on the leadership team for the Newton Public Schools. She is responsible for the hiring, supervision, and evaluation of 17 METCO staff members and provides guidance to administrators and faculty on cultural proficiency, multicultural curriculum, and the goal of high academic expectations for urban students of color.

Lisa earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Boston University and a Master of Education in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from Harvard University. Lisa’s previous experience includes serving as Dean of Students at Brookline High School, Head of School for the Dearborn STEM Academy, Principal and Dean of Students at Another Course to College, Dean of Students at the Frederick Douglass Charter School, and Coordinator of Pre-College Programs at Eastern Michigan University. She began her career in education at the Edward M. Kennedy School for Health Careers where she taught Allied Health Careers, served as a guidance counselor and was a member of the school’s leadership team.

Lisa was raised in Mattapan, is a proud graduate of the Boston public school system, and has worked for over twenty years to support excellent educational outcomes for all children.