OXFORD – SAD 17 directors unanimously approved the personnel committee recommendation of Patricia Bradbury as principal of Harrison Elementary School.

She will begin Feb. 1 and replace Art Turner, the district’s former curriculum director, who retired last year. He was serving as interim principal.

Bradbury is the K-6 principal of two SAD 41 elementary schools in Milo. She said she was excited to be coming to a district whose center of focus is the student.

“These are hard times in education,” Bradbury said. “When you can be part of a district that keeps its focus on student achievement, well, that’s the kind of district I want to be part of.

“When you walk through the schools, the district offices, you see students’ artwork,” she said. “Throughout the district the whole message seems to recognize students.”

Bradbury has 32 years of teaching and administrative experience and had been K-6 principal at SAD 41 elementary schools since 2000. Before that she was principal at SAD 90’s Alton Elementary School from 1991 to 2000 and a consultant to the Maine Department of Education, Division of Special Education, in Augusta from 1990 to 1991. Bradbury received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1971 and a master of education special education degree in 1976 from the University of Maine at Orono. In 1997 she received a certificate of advanced study, educational leadership from UMaine.

Keith Ober, a former Union 90 superintendent, said Bradbury was calm, thorough and professional in dealings with parents, the school committee and teachers.

“I have observed her dealing with program and policy development and her bottom line is what is good for kids,” he wrote.

In other business, the board heard from several parents who said the second grade class at the Waterford Memorial Elementary School is too large, creating behavior issues. They asked the board to split the class.

Jackie Rice said she took her child out of class and was home schooling him with the hope of later integrating him back into class.

“He was a great kid in kindergarten, a great kid in first grade and now there’s problems?” she said after talking to the board.

Beth Boyce said having 24 children in one class was too much for a teacher to handle.

“My son told me, ‘Mom, we had to go to the library because a boy had a temper tantrum on the floor,'” Boyce said.

Beacher Cyr and his wife, Kristine, also said the large class was having a negative impact on their child.

Chairman Dale Piirainen of West Paris said the board was aware of the problem and is working on a solution.

jsmedley@sunjournal.com

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