NBGS principal leaves for Pownal
REBECCA ROBINSON, Staff Writer
Article Launched:05/26/2007 02:59:07 AM EDT
Saturday, May 26
NORTH BENNINGTON — It's been a happy four years for Joy Kitchell at the NorthBenningtonGradedSchool. But now the principal is headed south — to Pownal, to be precise.
Kitchell, who has held the top administrative position at NBGS since 2003, said she was notified of her appointment Wednesday after a search committee composed of Pownal board and community members decided to offer her the post.
"I love my job, and North Bennington is a fabulous community," said Kitchell Friday, "but I was feeling like I was ready for a change professionally, so I took advantage of the opportunity at Pownal and applied." Her visit to Pownal confirmed that her decision was sound.
"I really connected with people in Pownal when I visited," Kitchell said. "I'm very excited for the challenges," which she defined as "just being in a new school, working with a new board and new staff.
"I don't think of challenge as a negative thing," Kitchell added, "and change for me is exciting."
Kitchell said that her salary will riseas a result of her move, due to a supervisory union formula that pays principals in relation to the top teacher's salary at a school and a
combination of additives, including the number of staff and children.
NBGS had 140 students at the beginning of the 2006-07 school year, while Pownal Elementary had 240.
Before she was principal of NBGS, Kitchell taught third and fourth grade at Catamount Elementary in Bennington for 16 years. North Bennington Prudential Committee Chairman Ray Mullineaux said that working at Pownal Elementary would be akin to her Catamount experinces in a way she was looking forward to.
"Joy has said that because Pownal has far more kids who are technically in poverty (according to state education assessment standards), it's a somewhat needier school than North Bennington," said Mullineaux. "Joy was accustomed to that at Catamount as well."
Sunday meeting
Mullineaux, who was notified by Kitchell on Wednesday after she heard from the Pownal School Board, said the process of finding a replacement for Kitchell will begin to take shape at a Prudential Committee meeting Sunday evening. The first item on the agenda is "Creation of a school/community process for identifying a new principal for NorthBenningtonGradedSchool."
There are some steps that will be the same as when Kitchell was hired to replace prior NBGS Principal Ernest LaFontaine, said Mullineaux. The Prudential Committee will ask the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union to advertise the position in local and regional publications.
Once resumes are collected — which will probably include some applicants for the Pownal principal position — a search committee composed of community members and parents of NBGS students will be assembled to review resumes and interview candidates. The more promising resumes will be forwarded to the Prudential Committee, which will work with the search committee to make a final decision.
"A timeline has not been devised yet," said Mullineaux. "I don't know yet if we can have someone in place by next school year. It would be my hope that we would, but I don't want to hold us hostage to candidates we receive" if the committee is not satisfied with any applications by a certain date.
Should the school need an interim administrator, it is unclear what the school district or SVSU would do. However, Kitchell, who has been a North Bennington resident for 20 years and will continue to live there even as she moves her professional life to Pownal, has volunteered to assist the school with any transitions over the summer.
Mullineaux praised Kitchell's work at NBGS, particularly her work with school staff on a primary reading program that has yielded significant gains in test scores for students.
"She's done a very good job at what the board that hired her felt needed to start happening at the school," said Mullineaux, which included greater involvement by the principal in improving the school's academic program and involving the community in conversations about the direction of the school.
Community involvement
"We have a common commitment to as much community involvement as we could generate," Mullineaux said.
Kitchell said that she would look back on her NBGS experience with fond memories.
"I truly loved being at North Bennington," said Kitchell. "It's a very school-centered community who works together to take care of children. It's just a fabulous place to be."