Clough Going

Thoreau School Principal Kelly Clough has announced she’ll resign from the position after three years at the school.

In an email to Thoreau parents, Clough said she was grateful for her time at the school and plans to pursue other opportunities in the education field following her resignation, which is effective Friday, June 28.

Superintendent of Schools Diana Rigby confirmed to Boston.com that she had received Clough's resignation.

Addressing replacement plans, Rigby reportedly told the Globe the district will hire an interim principal for the 2013-2014 school year and plans to begin the selection process for a permanent replacement in January.

Clough’s resignation comes after a tumultuous year at the Thoreau School in which an outside consultant was brought in to recommend ways to improve the school’s climate and educators from across the district rallied around a teacher whom Clough recommended against re-hiring to her position next year.

There’s been unrest around Thoreau for more than a year now, fueled by TELL (Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning) Mass survey results that reflected poor morale among teachers across Concord’s public schools.

Teacher morale as a district-wide issue was an issue oft discussed during the School Committee campaign, and ranked as a top priority for the four candidates in the leadup to March’s annual Town Elections.

Simmering tensions boiled over in late April, when parents and teachers rallied outside the School Administration Building and crashed a Climate Committee meeting after learning Clough had recommended against re-hiring Merrie Najimy, a third-grade teacher at Thoreau School and president of the Concord Teachers Association. 

Check back with Patch for more on this story as it comes available.