CORNWALL — Heather Raabe, principal of Cornwall’s Bingham Memorial Elementary School, has confirmed she’ll be stepping down at the end of this academic year.
Her departure, following a five-year stint, means the Addison Central School District is now in the market for principals at three of its seven elementary schools. Matthew Brankman, who’s helmed both the Bridport and Shoreham elementary schools this year (with key support from Assistant Principal Jennifer Urban), announced last month he’d also be departing when students begin their summer break in June.
The Bridport/Shoreham shared principalship is coming to an end and the Cornwall School will continue to have its own principal, according to interim ACSD Superintendent Tim Williams.
“Our plan is to solicit applicants for a full-time principal for each of the three buildings,” Williams told the Independent. “We came to this conclusion in collaboration with Dr. Baker, the incoming superintendent. We carefully considered the existing and upcoming priorities and responsibilities for building-level leaders and came to a consensus conclusion to maintain our current level of administrative staffing in all buildings as budgeted. We believe this is the best way to address the goals outlined in the (ACSD’s) Strategic Plan for Equity.”
Raabe confirmed her departure last week through a brief emailed message to the school community.
“From my first day at Cornwall, I was welcomed into a positive, caring, and thoughtful community,” she stated. “I appreciate the people I have worked with, from students to families to teachers and staff, and I will miss the waves and greetings each morning. I look forward to running into you while out and about.”
It was in April of 2019 that Raabe was picked for the Cornwall job. She succeeded Principal Jen Kravitz, who currently helms Middlebury’s Mary Hogan Elementary.
Raabe joined the Cornwall school after spending four years as assistant principal at Global Village Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., where she helped bring the community together in the redesign of its international school.
She took a brief sabbatical from her duties this past winter for what she described as “health reasons,” in a Dec. 5 email to the school community. Salisbury School Principal Bjarki Sears and ACSD student response coordinator Michael Dudek filled the leadership breach during Raabe’s convalescence.
The Independent invited Raabe provide more insights on her departure. She said she’d stick with her original statement to the community.
Williams thanked the departing principals and those who have pitched in while the schools were short-staffed. Urban is currently serving as acting principal of Shoreham Elementary.
“We are grateful for everything principals Raabe, Urban and Brankman have done for our students,” Williams said. “We will be looking for principals who will continue with student-centered approaches to learning.”
As previously reported by the Independent, Brankman was hired in 2019 to succeed Jennefer Paquette as top administrator of Bridport Central School. He is the former principal of Bradford Elementary School. His role was eventually expanded to include oversight of Shoreham Elementary, after Principal Andy Johnson stepped down last June.
“The reality is that my responsibilities as a parent have taken too much of my attention this year, and that is where my focus needs to be going forward,” Brankman said last month about his reason for stepping down.
Reporter John Flowers is at johnf@addisonindependent.com.
The post ACSD now must find three new principals appeared first on Addison Independent.