Search for Wildwood principal is back on

By Mary Carey
Staff Writer

Published on April 18, 2008

Wildwood Elementary School could be getting a new principal soon, after failing to find one after the search that produced principals for three other schools earlier this year.

The search was re-opened after posts at Fort River and Crocker Farm elementary and the middle school were filled, with another dozen applying, including finalists Anna-Stina Ohlson, Matthew Behnke and Thomas McGuire.

Ohlson, an Amherst native and University of Massachusetts graduate, who is now studying for her doctorate there, was the first finalist to complete a whirlwind tour of the school, series of meetings, evaluation of a teacher and forum with parents on Tuesday.

Ohlson is currently an assistant principal in the Gill-Montague Regional Schools, responsible for teacher training and learning in grades six through 12. She was previously assistant principal at Glenbrook Middle School and is certified as a guidance counselor and school principal. She has taught English as a second language for three years.

Behnke, who was to meet with parents on Wednesday night, is currently principal of Granville Village School, in Granville. He has been a special education teacher in Chicopee and a classroom teacher in Oakland, Calif. He is an Amherst College graduate with a master's degree in education from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education in School Leadership and is certified in general education for grades one through six and as a principal and assistant principal in kindergarten through fifth grade and grades six through eight.

McGuire, who was also scheduled to meet with parents on Wednesday, is president of the Loft Principal Residency Network, a nonprofit organization focusing on social justice for schools and communities. Before this, he found and directed the Principals Residency Network at Keene (N.H.) State College, where he was a professor in the Educational Leadership Program. He was a principal in Westminster, Vt., for three years and has taught language arts, history and science in New Hampshire. He graduated from SUNY-Stony Brook with a bachelor's degree in history education and received master's degrees in curriculum and instruction and educational administration from Keene State College. He is certified as a principal in New Hampshire and Vermont, with certification pending in Massachusetts.

"The parents are looking for a principal who can really unite the teachers and bring the parents back into the school," said parent Julia Rueschemeyer, a member of the interview committee.

Mark Prince, the current principal, announced earlier this year that he would not be returning to the post next year.

Meanwhile, Michael Morris was selected to fill the position at Crocker Farm; Ray Sharick will be principal at Fort River and Glenda Cresto will be principal at Amherst-Regional Middle School next year.

Mary Carey can be reached at mary.carey@att.net.