Schools

Interim Thoreau School Principal Named

See who'll helm the Concord elementary school heading into the 2013-2014 school year.

Nancy Peterson has been named interim Thoreau School principal.

Superintendent of Schools Diana Rigby made the announcement earlier this week, releasing a statement saying Peterson will begin in her new role on Tuesday, Aug. 6.

Peterson, who was most recently interim principal at the Davis Elementary School in Bedford, has also worked at the Fiske School in Lexington and in Danvers and Stoneham over her 20-year career as an elementary school principal.

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“She is well known for building professional school cultures, and she is looking forward to meeting the staff, students and parents,” Rigby said in the statement.

The Thoreau School PTG will host a “Meet and Greet” for Peterson from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 15.

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Peterson will replace Kelly Clough, who announced her resignation last month after three years as principal at Thoreau School.

Following Clough’s resignation, Rigby reportedly told Boston.com the district planned to hire an interim principal for the 2013-2014 school year and would begin the selection process for a permanent replacement in January.

Peterson slides into the interim role at Thoreau after nearly two years filling a similar position next door in Bedford, at the Davis Elementary School.

Following the hire of a permanent principal at Davis, Bedford Superintendent of Schools Jon Sills said the following of Peterson, thanking her in a note to parents, published by online by the Bedford Citizen:

Nancy Peterson, who was described by faculty members as having “righted the ship”, has brought focused, reassuring, and expert leadership to the Davis School community these past two years.  Her calm demeanor and professional wisdom, her advocacy for Davis’s needs, her school-wide celebrations, scheduling of time for teacher collaboration and decision-making based on the well-being of students have been all so important during this period of transition. 

Prior to the stint in Bedford, Peterson served as principal at the Fiske School in Lexington, where she was principal of the Fiske Elementary School.

Peterson steps in to the interim role at Thoreau after a tumultuous year at the school, in which an outside consultant was brought in to work on ways to improve the elementary school’s climate.

While the TELL (Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning) Mass survey results reflected poor morale among teachers across Concord’s public schools, Thoreau parents have said problems there predate the survey and marred Clough’s entire tenure.

Peterson comes in with a sterling endorsement from the district leadership in Bedford. However, her placement at Thoreau is less than a year removed from some explosive accusations that emerged about the widespread use of “seclusion rooms” during her time in Lexington

That said, Peterson retired from Fiske well-liked and respected by parents, some of whom continued to keep in touch with her during a planned post-retirement world tour


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