Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Dave Pilati believes this is the mindset educators must foster in all students. As Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Dave’s focus is to ensure all North Canton educators are provided with the necessary support through professional development, programming, and resources, to ensure that all students reach their fullest potential.

Dave has been a Stark County educator since 1992, serving as a math teacher in both the Minerva and Plain Local districts, an assistant principal and district curriculum director in Plain Local, and a consultant for the Stark County Educational Service Center. Now in his sixth year as the assistant superintendent, Dave says, "I love being a Viking and and being a part of a district that has a long-standing tradition of excellence and pride due to hardworking staff members and students combined with wonderful support from its parents and community.”

 

Todd began his career in the North Canton City Schools as a high school English teacher in 1998. In addition to coaching football and basketball for the Vikings, Todd also earned his National Board Certification in the English Language Arts. In 2004 he became an Associate Principal at Hoover High School.

Todd serves as the Director of Business for the NCCS, a position he has held since 2012. He is responsible for the physical structures and the performance of services that make them good learning environments. He has oversight of maintenance, custodial, food service, transportation, district registration, buildings and grounds, purchasing and district rental agreements, and is the school district’s safety director.

Todd earned bachelor's degrees from Edinboro University and the University of Akron as well as master's degrees in curriculum/instruction and educational administration from Ashland University. He and his wife reside in North Canton with their three children.

Before coming to the district office as an Innovation Specialist, Director of Instruction, and now as Director of Technology, Kim spent 20 years in the classrooms of North Canton Hoover High School. This does not count the years she spent here as a student. Kim's passion for teaching and active learning, as well as her vision for the integration of technology as a learning tool in the classroom were driving factors in the district's $4.6M Straight A Fund grant award from the Ohio Department of Education in 2013.  

 

With a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership, Kim is also a graduate of the 29th Class of Leadership Stark County and serves on Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio's Executive Board as a Co-Program Committee Chairperson.  She recently received Certified Education Technology Leadership (CETL) certification through the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN).  

Kim and her husband are lifelong residents of North Canton.  All three of their children are graduates of North Canton City Schools.

  

John Welch
Director of Special Services
Email
(330) 497-5665

With a strong desire to serve others and a passion for literacy, Michelle brings 30+ years of education experience to North Canton City Schools. As the director of instruction, she is anxious to help students and staff continue to improve and achieve.
 
 As a classroom teacher for 16 years, Michelle understands the needs of students as well as the importance of professional growth for teachers. Working as a literacy coach for five years, and  as an ELA consultant for the Stark County ESC, Michelle has much experience in working with and providing growth opportunities for teachers. She enjoys actively listening to their concerns while discerning how she can best help them achieve their goals. It is this desire to serve and help others that still motivates Michelle who is now in her sixth year with North Canton City Schools.
 
 With a master's degree in curriculum and instruction, Michelle is passionate in working with an already successful staff to help them strengthen their skills even more.

As district testing coordinator, Mrs. Peare oversees the coordination, scheduling, data uploads and downloads, and logistics pertaining to the administration of all state testing within the district. Additionally, she also is responsible for performing the same tasks for all district diagnostic testing, which helps monitor student growth and provides teachers with valuable data to help them plan their instruction and intervention for all students. Mrs. Peare also serves as the director of the district's pre-school program at the Mary L. Evans Early Childhood Center.

 

Denise Cooley serves the North Canton City School District as the Gifted and Talented Coordinator. Mrs. Cooley has served as Gifted Coordinator, Grant Writer and Professional Development AIR ELA Leader at the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center, and she has taught eighth-grade reading at Indian Valley Middle School. She has been an active member of the Tuscarawas County Literacy Coalition, the Ohio Department of Education Model Curriculum Committee and the Ohio Department of Education ELA AIR Content Advisory Committee. Mrs. Cooley has helped secure numerous grants in her career, including a 21st Century Grant for $150,000 to provide after-school programming to students who are economically disadvantaged and showed a need for tutoring in reading and mathematics.

Working together to move our school district forward has been a theme of the last five years in North Canton City Schools. After spending 15 years as a college coach, faculty member and administrator, Walker was chosen to lead the athletic department at Hoover High School in 2016. After serving the last five years in that capacity, he will now join the NCCS District office in the role of Director of Development and Special Projects.  

 

"I am so thankful for this opportunity to continue to work with North Canton Schools in this new role,” said Walker. “My wife and I have been residents of North Canton for over 10 years and our children are students in the district, so we have seen firsthand the quality of education in North Canton. This is truly an exciting time in North Canton City Schools, and I am happy to be able to contribute to the team as we continue to move forward as a District. I am thrilled to be partnering with such a great team of administrators, and I look forward to the opportunities ahead." 

 

Tom began his career in North Canton City Schools in 1998 as a high school mathematics teacher and a varsity assistant basketball coach.  After stints as a Hoover Math Department Chair and the North Canton Middle School Athletic Director, Tom became an Associate Principal at Hoover starting in the 2012-2013 school year.

 

Tom is looking forward to the opportunity to lead the Athletic Department at Hoover High School. “Our goal is to have an outstanding group of coaches lead our student-athletes to become competitive players, positive teammates, and impactful and successful citizens after their Hoover playing days have concluded. I look forward to working with our student-athletes, coaches, and staff at North Canton City Schools.  I am excited to work with the parents and the entire North Canton community to continue our ‘Tradition of Excellence’ in Academics, Arts, and Athletics.”

Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Kenyon College, his teaching certification from the University of Cincinnati and Kent State University, and a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Ashland University. Tom and his wife reside in North Canton with their two children.