The Brookline School Committee formally welcomed Christine Kelley and Warren Blair, the new principals at the Pierce School and the Lawrence School, respectively, March 22 at Town Hall. Just under 30 administrators, teachers, and committee members surrounded the pair in the James F. Walsh School Committee Room.
“As a community, we’re feeling very hopeful,” said Laura Horst, vice principal of the Lawrence School, introducing Blair as its new principal to the crowd.
The Brookline School Committee’s formal announcement came at the end of a long day for the new hires, who had met students and attended faculty meetings at their new institutions before facing the crowd.
After an introduction by Vice Principal John Badger, Kelley described her visit to the Pierce School, recounting her rescue by a group of students who saw her go through the wrong door.
“Pierce is confusing!” Kelley laughed. “But it says a lot about the climate that kids are so respectful as to help a stranger.”
“It says our security needs work,” said school committee member Helen Charlupski, prompting chuckles from administrators.
The mood was jovial, as search committee members peppered Blair and Kelley with questions, excited to clue the new principals into the culture of their respective institutions.
In attendance were a handful of parents like Rebecca Stone, who described herself as a Lawrence parent alum.
“One thing that’s important to me is whether you’re willing to be part of the PTO club,” said Stone to Blair. “Are you going to get up on that stage?”
Over six feet tall, Blair had answered questions from other members with a broad smile and eager gesticulation, but for the first time appeared to hesitate.
“I’m not much of a dancer,” said Blair. “I’m going to say dancing is a ‘for sure maybe.’”
Blair cracked jokes throughout the evening, illustrating the energy that propelled him across the country from Colorado with his wife, Mary. Both Kelley and Blair are currently serving at other institutions as interim principals: Blair at Bear Creek High School in Jefferson County, Colorado, and Kelley is closer to home at Winchester High School.
For the search committee, the fact that the chosen candidates were already serving in principal positions – and were finalists in other school district’s principal searches – was key to their eventual selection.
Interim Superintendent Joe Connelly described the hiring process as competitive, with 37 applications to Lawrence and 41 to Pierce.
“For the candidates, meeting the staff was test number three, and meeting the parents for breakfast is test number four,” said Connelly. “They’ve got some big shoes to fill.”
The new principals will replace Brookline’s Rick Rogers and Pipier Smith-Mumford, both of whom announced their retirements last fall. The Brookline School Committee had announced the new hires on March 10, but did not formally introduce Blair and Kelley until the meeting last Tuesday night.
Concluding with a celebratory air, the new principals chatted with their respective school teams as the reception ended. Standing under several maps of Brookline with a cluster of Pierce staff, Kelley described her impressions of the school’s open classroom environment.
“I was educated with open classrooms myself,” Kelley explained. “When I walked into Pierce it absolutely brought me back to 1975.”
“In more ways than one!” laughed Gretchen Adams, a teacher at the Pierce School.
At the center of the room, Blair reminisced about the 4-month search process, towering over five Lawrence teachers circled around him.
“I think they hit me with some good questions,” said Blair. “They laughed at most of my jokes; I had to tell myself ‘Dial back! You’re gonna scare ‘em, already!’”
But according to Horst, Lawrence’s staff is looking forward to welcoming Blair full time.
“Having the current principal and Warren in the same room Tuesday was very inspirational,” said Horst. “Warren really gets where Lawrence has been and where we’re trying to go. We’re excited.”
By Hub Contributor, Alexandra Werner-Winslow