Susan Vatalaro 

Board Member, Chinese Culture Connection

Susan Vatalaro is a retired educator with 45 years of experience in the Malden Public Schools, most recently serving as principal of the Beebe School, a K–8 school with over 900 students. After retiring, she continued her work in education as an academic consultant at Pope John High School in Everett and St. Joseph School in Medford.

Susan began her career in the 1970s as a classroom teacher and transitioned to administration in the 1990s. Over the decades, she has worked in a variety of instructional models—from self-contained and open classrooms to inclusive environments with diverse student populations. Her experience in special education includes substantially separate classrooms, as well as “push-in” and “pull-out” intervention models.

A lifelong learner, Susan earned her first Master’s in Education in 1978, a second in Administration in 1991, completed the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL) program in 2008, and received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Northeastern University in 2015. She has remained current by continually adapting her practices to meet students’ needs.

Susan is passionate about collaborating with fellow educators and sharing her knowledge and experience to support effective teaching, learning, and academic program development. She is proud to join the Chinese Culture Connection (CCC) and looks forward to contributing her expertise to strengthen CCC’s educational programs and support the families they serve