BRUNSWICK

Members of the community, educators and school board members gathered at Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School on Monday to hear from the two finalists in the search for a new principal.

Tanya Arnold and Patricia Crowley Rockwell each delivered a 10-minute introduction of themselves before fielding questions. Those in attendance were given feedback forms to help guide the search committee.

With 11 other people on the interview committee, Assistant Superintendent Pender Makin said she was afraid the diverse group would not come to a consensus. In the end, however, the votes were resoundingly in favor of Arnold and Rockwell.

Both Arnold and Rockwell spent time at HBS on Monday, meeting teachers and students and making sure, firsthand, that they and the school are a good match.

Arnold introduced herself as someone who came to education later in life, beginning first as a pre-kindergarten volunteer, working her way to assistant principal, working primarily in western Maine.

Arnold said that although she’s spent the last 10 years in administration, she is still “profoundly rooted in the classroom,” where she likes to spend much of her time still.

Arnold said her educational philosophy is rooted in the belief that no matter what our age, we try to do our best each day.

During questions, Martin Mackey, principal of Brunswick’s REAL School and parent of a fourth grader at HBS, asked Arnold her “hopes and dreams” for creating a positive climate for more marginalized students.

“I guess my hope and dream is that we can find a way for every child to feel valued and special and part of a team,” Arnold said.

Arnold said that the nature of humanity is that of a pack animal and if a child doesn’t feel part of a unit, it’s a “huge missing piece and then we become unpredictable.”

Rockwell, who is currently the assistant principal at King Middle School in Portland, began her career in special education. She began by stating that children should have as many teachers as they can.

“Every student matters and so that means decisions that are made, even tough ones, are made because every student matters — and students have to know that,” Rockwell said of her approach to education.

When asked about her impressions of HBS, Rockwell related a story of observing a classroom when a child fell backward onto the floor.

“The students themselves — there was no laughing and that to me was really, really telling. Instead, there were about four students who I heard ‘are you OK’ and he got up — what a great classroom,” Rockwell said.

Rockwell praised seeing so many kids engaged in their learning as well as assistant principal Josh Levy high-fiving students in the hallway. Still, Rockwell said that any school that is not actively improving is declining.

Makin said the goal was to have wide stakeholder input in the hiring process.

A team of 18 people, made up of parents, school board members and teachers from HBS as well as Levy, combed through what had become a massive response to the call for a new principal.

Part of that response Makin chalked up to the job description on the school district website, asking for candidates who can empower staff and maintain a positive school climate.

“This candidate will join a professionally courageous administrative team, prepared to maximize opportunities and to face challenges with relentless enthusiasm, energy, humor and optimism,” the site read.

Makin said through the process she acted as a facilitator, making the whittling down of prospective candidates more of a community decision.

“I just saw my role as being to kind of serve and facilitate this group who carry with them all of the organizational knowledge and experience and the passion to make this decision,” Makin said.

Out of a large pool of candidates, the team selected seven interview candidates — a large number, according to Makin, who put in nearly 13 hours interviewing at Hawthorne School on Sunday.

“We interviewed seven incredibly talented, dedicated, vibrant, knowledgeable educators and leaders,” Makin said.

The feedback forms will be reviewed by the search committee on Thursday, with a recommendation put forth to Superintendent Paul Perzanoski before Sept. 28.

dmcintire@timesrecord.com