AUGUSTA — The city school board will vote Wednesday on whether to select a 28-year veteran of city schools for the vacant principal job at Farrington Elementary School.
A hiring committee picked Teresa Beaudoin, the music department chairwoman at Cony High School, as the finalist for the job. The Augusta Board of Education must approve her nomination, and that vote is set for Wednesday.
If approved, she’ll replace Lori Smail, who resigned in May within two weeks of a disclosure that math test results for 106 students at the Eastern Avenue school were to be thrown out because rooms where tests were administered inappropriately contained reference sheets and posters. That’s the subject of an ongoing Maine Department of Education investigation.
Superintendent James Anastasio said Beaudoin, who lives in Farmingdale, was picked because of her “commitment to the district” and “demonstrated leadership capabilities.”
“Obviously, I’ve spent a lot of years working with Teresa, and I have full confidence that she’ll do an outstanding job,” he said.
Beaudoin declined comment on her nomination when reached by phone on Friday, saying she’ll comment after she’s confirmed. During her time in the district, she has split her efforts between Cony and elementary schools.
The vote may end a period of instability at Farrington. After Smail’s resignation, she went on leave and parents complained that children weren’t told why Smail, who was popular with students and parents and was named a National Distinguished Principal of the year in 2013, was gone.
Smail said the errors were unintentional and that her resignation wasn’t motivated by the issues, but a letter from the education department said that the inappropriate material was placed in classrooms on purpose and constituted an “unfair advantage” to students. A leader of Augusta’s teachers’ union said Smail gave teachers permission to put study aids in classrooms.
Nobody has been disciplined at the school or state levels in the case, but Department of Education spokeswoman Anne Gabbianelli said an independent investigation of the matter is ongoing and will determine if further action is warranted.
Michael Shepherd — 370-7652
Twitter: @mikeshepherdme
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