Springfield principal accepts position at international school in China

A Springfield administrator has been selected to serve as the middle school principal of a prestigious institution in Shanghai, China.
http://eagletimes.villagesoup.com/p/springfield-principal-accepts-position-at-international-school-in-china/1163852

Springfield principal accepts position at international school in China By Chris Garofolo | Apr 09, 2014 Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print More Sharing Services 0 Photo by: Chris Garofolo Becky Read, principal at Riverside Middle School in Springfield, has accepted a position at the Shanghai American School in China. She will step down at the end of the school year in June. SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield administrator has been selected to serve as the middle school principal of a prestigious institution in Shanghai, China. Becky Read, principal of Riverside Middle School, will leave her post effective June 30 to take on an identical role at the Pudong campus of the Shanghai American School, a distinguished international facility with approximately 3,200 students from 40 countries. Riverside’s principal since 2007, Read cited both personal reasons and the opportunity for “continued professional growth” after accepting a three-year contract for the administrative position in China for the 2014-15 school year. The Pudong middle school has approximately 425 students compared to about 300 at Riverside. “The job I won’t have to adjust so much to because it’s a middle school, and I’ll be a middle school principal there too,” Read told the Eagle Times. “It’s an English-speaking school, but I am hoping to pick up Mandarin. [I’ve] only been to China for my final interview, but I was a social studies teacher and I’ve always been interested in different cultures.” Read’s son Kieran will join her and attend the Pudong high school. The facility was established in 1912, closed for about three decades following a change in the Chinese government and reopened in 1980 as a top-tier school in the country. “I’ve always wanted to work overseas, it’s been a dream,” Read said. “With the school, they really pride themselves on being a school that develops the whole child and really prepares them for global citizenship.” Richard W. Mueller, superintendent of the Shanghai American School, said Read is an enthusiastic “middle school person” with a strong leader presence. “While literacy skills have made steady improvement at Riverside, she is most proud of the best practices Riverside faculty members have implemented in recent years including: teaming, co-teaching, interdisciplinary units, looping, advisory and student-led conferences,” Mueller wrote in an April 1 statement. “Riverside is in the process of introducing standards-based assessments, with implementation planned for next year.” The Springfield School Board on Monday accepted her resignation with regret. Springfield Superintendent Zachary McLaughlin said the Pudong school is very well-respected. “I just want to pass on my best wishes to her,” McLaughlin said Monday night during the school board meeting. “This is a huge opportunity for her, especially one where when her fellow administrators start hearing the perks of said position they start saying ‘Wait a minute, can I go overseas?’ But it’s a great opportunity for her and she’s done a lot of really tough, hard things in the district over the last several years and I personally wish her luck,” he added. To date, the school district has established a search committee to narrow down the applicants for the next Riverside principal. Read said she would assist in the progress to ensure a smooth transition. A native of Hartland, Read graduated from nearby Hartford High School and kicked off her teaching career in the United Kingdom. She taught social studies in her hometown elementary school before serving as co-principal in Hartland for a total of nine years.