LEWISTON — In February Shawn Chabot took over as Lewiston High School principal, and he appears to be getting high marks as his one-year review nears.
Leaving his job as principal at the Lewiston Middle School to become the high school principal in the middle of the year wasn’t ideal for him or students; there was little time for planning or transitioning.
In addition, Chabot was thrown into a position overseeing a large and diverse community. With about 1,400 students, the high school is among the largest in Maine.
Yet students recently interviewed said they’re happy with their new principal, feel comfortable approaching him and appreciate his visibility.
Since Chabot became principal nothing but positive changes have happened, said student Amanda Alberda. Chabot makes an effort to get out of the office and interact with students, something previous administrators didn’t do as well, she said.
“He’s open to new ideas and student voices,” she said. When Alberda wanted to research and update the student dress code last year, “he supported me the entire way.”
On the last day before the school’s Christmas vacation, students walked by Chabot in the hall smiling at him and giving him fist bumps. As a photographer took his picture, students grinned, often leaning in and photo bombing him.
Lewiston senior Mohamed Khalid said he didn’t know the previous principal. He knows Chabot.
“We can connect with him,” Khalid said. “If you need anything you can go talk to him. He’s always there to help you out,” he said. “On a scale of one to 10, I give him an 11.”
Alex Rivet, a sophomore, said Chabot creates a good environment. “You’ll see him in the hallways. He’ll greet you. If you’re feeling down he’ll come see you. He makes a good environment.”
Chabot said things are going well despite the fast start. One challenge he faced when hired as principal was dealing with the school’s proficiency-based-learning diploma requirements, which represent a new way of learning and grading.
After parents and teachers raised issues about the requirements in 2015, Lewiston schools Superintendent Bill Webster said PBL would be slowed down and not fully implemented for several years.
Proficiency-based learning is being done “in a way that brings people together,” Chabot said. “We’re still moving forward, but more slowly. Some changes we made, having teachers and parents be part of the process, have helped.”
After arriving at the high school last winter, Chabot said he got a close-up look at how hard teachers and staff work.
“If you had time to go around and see classrooms, you’d see teachers are working really hard day in and day out. They’re doing a great job. We have a good group here.”
When asked what’s the best part of the job, Chabot answered quickly. “The kids.”
bwashuk@sunjournal.com
“We can connect with him. If you need anything you can go talk to him. He’s always there to help you out.”
— Lewiston High School senior Mohamed Khalid, speaking about Principal Shawn Chabot
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