BETHEL — The School Administrative District 44 board of directors unanimously approved Superintendent David Murphy’s nomination of Cheryl Lang as the new principal of Telstar Regional High School.
Lang, who was hired last year as the high school dean of students, replaces Ann Bell, who left the district after one year to become the assistant superintendent of Regional School Unit 10.
The district received nine applications for the high school principal position. The interview team, consisting of Murphy, Crescent Park Elementary School Principal Levi Brown, Telstar Middle School Principal Mark Kenney and Director of Special Services and Curriculum Paula Leavitt, offered interviews to three candidates, but only two were able to attend.
Following a review of the candidates, Murphy said, “It was the unanimous feeling of the group that we would be well-served by having Cheryl at the helm of Telstar High School in the coming year.”
He said Lang, who completed her certification as a building administrator in June, had worked closely with Bell during the past year.
Lang has a strong background in curriculum development, which will be a primary focus at the high school, as well as a good rapport with students, Murphy said.
“As the dean, Cheryl actually moved her office upstairs into the academic wing and situated herself right in the middle of everything so she could be more hands-on and more visible to the student body,” he said.
Several directors commended Lang for her capability, positive attitude and concern for the students.
Director Sheryl Morgan of Woodstock said she knows Lang from her perspective both as a board member and as the grandmother of a Telstar student.
“Cheryl’s door was always open, and she handled everything that we asked of her,” Morgan said.
“I feel very strongly that we want to continue the progress we’ve made this past year,” Lang told the board. “We’ve made a lot of gains and I’ve learned a lot along the way. I feel that I am going to be a great fit for this position.”
Lang was offered the same two-year contract that was given to Bell last year, with a salary of $83,000 in the first year and $85,000 in the second.
Other staff changes
The school board approved the nomination of Margaret Templeton as a K-5 special education teacher. She has been a special education teacher at Paris Elementary School since 2012, and previously worked as an education technician and as a special education teacher at private schools. Murphy said there is still an opening for a special education teacher at Telstar.
The appointment of a middle school science teacher was tabled until the August meeting.
Murphy announced the resignation of high school math teacher Jim Rose. Rose was a longtime science teacher at Telstar who left the district several years ago, then returned to teach math. Murphy said Rose has accepted a teaching position in southern Maine.
Schedule changes delayed
After a group of Telstar parents brought their concerns about proposed new scheduling at the high school to the attention of the school board at last month’s meeting, the high school administrators have decided to delay implementation of the schedule changes for a year.
“The high school administration listened very carefully to the comments that were brought forward by the parents,” Murphy said.
He said there will be further discussions over an extended period of time to ensure that parents and students understand the reasoning behind the proposed schedule changes.
For the 2015-16 school year, the high school will use the same schedule that has been in place for most of the past two decades. It consists of alternating “blue” and “white” days, each with four 80-minute blocks, with most core classes meeting on alternating days.
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