Above: The finalist for ARHS Principal fielded questions over zoom last week. Today, his hiring was officially announced. (image left cropped from zoom video on NCAT’s YouTube channel)
Starting in July, Algonquin Regional will have a new principal. Sean Bevan of Westwood High will be taking over the role.
Bevan’s official hire was announced Friday. Earlier in the week, the district hosted multiple zoom conferences to give stakeholders the chance to interview the finalist and even follow up with a survey. During the public meeting interview with Combined School Committee members, Superintendent Greg Martineau shared that 45 educators joined one call and over 40 students and parents joined another.
In that session, Bevan said that the position is the only one he’s applied for since he was promoted to Westwood’s Principal from Asst Principal nine years ago. He spoke with excitement about “the new leap” and coming back to the school where he spent years as an English teacher, Assistant Baseball Coach, and advisor to the Harbinger. In the last role, he told the committee he was probably a thorn in the principal’s side. Now, with a strong newspaper, he expects to be on the receiving end.
The candidate also referred to his roots when answering what three words describe an effective principal. He responded with availability, strategic, and integrity. He followed that as an English teacher, he’d be regretting that answer all day for marrying a noun and adjectives. He expounded that he believes important aspects of the role are:
being approachable, having high integrity, and being strategic in how you apply leadership.
Answering a question from Martineau, he said that it’s important to use a variety of styles and strategies for communication with parents. He noted that not everyone is on top of their emails. He advocated also using social media, newsletters, holding events and looking for opportunities where parents are already interacting.
Earlier, he addressed the challenge of having visibility at a wide variety of events a a very busy high school. He explained his strategy is “Go to everything. Stay for nothing.” He said that parents understand that he has other obligations.
You can watch that full interview here. Below is Friday’s announcement from Martineau:
I am pleased to share that Mr. Sean Bevan has accepted the Algonquin Regional High School (ARHS) Principal position. Mr. Bevan earned a Certificate of Study in Leadership from Harvard University, a Master of Education from Temple University, and a Bachelor of Arts from LaSalle University. Mr. Bevan brings eleven years of experience as an educational leader and seven years of teaching experience as an English educator to this position
Throughout the hiring process, it was evident that Mr. Bevan possesses the ability to provide strong leadership through a collaborative and positive approach that inspires all to achieve. Mr. Bevan presently serves as the high school principal for Westwood Public Schools in Westwood, Massachusetts. Mr. Bevan will officially begin his new role on July 1, 2020. I want to thank the ARHS faculty and staff, students, and families for their engagement in the search process – the input was invaluable.
