Two finalists for Union Street School principal job

Superintendent of Schools Zachary McLaughlin said he hoped to have a recommendation for the School Board this week about who will be the next principal at Union Street School.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150701/NEWS02/707019937

Two finalists for Union Street School principal job By Susan Smallheer Staff Writer | July 01,2015 Email Article Print Article SPRINGFIELD — Superintendent of Schools Zachary McLaughlin said he hoped to have a recommendation for the School Board this week about who will be the next principal at Union Street School. McLaughlin updated the Springfield School Board Monday night about the search, which has been narrowed to two candidates — Bindy Hathorn, who is assistant principal at Springfield High School, and Debra Beaupre, an administrator with the supervisory union based in Newport, N.H., who was formerly a reading specialist in the same district. McLaughlin said Hathorn and Beaupre were the top two candidates winnowed from 22 applicants. Of those, five people were interviewed, including Hathorn and Beaupre. He said there was a selection committee made up of students, teachers and administrators, as well as the community. McLaughlin said he marched in the Springfield Alumni Parade in an attempt to drum up interest in a community meeting last week during which the two candidates were interviewed at the elementary school. McLaughlin said he sent out multiple waves of robo-calls to the school community to spread the word about the public interview and discussion. He said about 50 people attended the community interview last week, with many elementary school staff members participating. He said there were two interviews — one by community members, and the other by staff members — with each candidate. After 40 minutes, the candidates changed rooms, he said. The superintendent said each person attending the meeting was given a “reflection sheet,” and the two finalists were graded on a scale of 1 to 5 on various categories. “We got a lot of good feedback,” McLaughlin said. “We have two very strong finalists,” he said, noting that he was checking the references of the candidates and hoped to have a recommendation at a special Wednesday board meeting. “I have two steps left for me to go,” he said. “To be continued.” The new principal will replace Martha Potter, the Union Street School principal who resigned this spring. Potter was a finalist in 2013 for the superintendent’s job, which ultimately went to McLaughlin.