Two Principals Picked, Two More to Go in Amherst (Article From the Daily Hampshire Gazette)

By MARY CAREY, Staff Writer Friday, March 7, 2008 AMHERST - Superintendent Jere Hochman announced his selection for two of four principal posts and expects to fill the remaining positions soon. Michael Morris will succeed Paul Wiley as principal of Crocker Farm Elementary School, Hochman said Tuesday. On Wednesday, he named Ray Sharick to the Fort River Elementary School principal's post. Now, only Wildwood Elementary School and Amherst Regional Middle School await news of who their next principal will be. The other finalists for the elementary post are Sandra Delaney, a Newton schools administrator; Jill Pasquini-Torcia, a former Brockton teacher and administrator; and Catarina da Silva, a doctoral candidate at New York University. Michael Hayes, currently the interim co-principal at ARMS, and Glenda Cresto, a Boston teacher trainer, are in contention for the middle school post. At Crocker Farm, secretary Kathy Aldrich said faculty and staff were delighted with the choice of Morris, who is currently assistant principal at the school. Morris was the unanimous choice of the school's interview committee, Crocker Farm parent Yaniris Fernandez said. "We actually really didn't have a second choice. He's going to be awesome," Fernandez said. Fernandez said Morris is "energetic, extremely smart, a go-getter, responsive. He's very compassionate and he understands the community." At Fort River, parents were similarly pleased with the choice of Sharick. An Amherst resident with children in the public schools, he is current principal of Fisher Hill Elementary School in Orange. "I think he'll be an excellent principal, and I'm happy that he's going to be our principal," said Ann McLaughlin, who was on the school's interview committee. "I think he's a good choice for Fort River. " Hochman said, "I am convinced that Ray will build upon all of Fort River's strengths, that he will build upon what is right and good at Fort River, and that he will keep the standards and focus on achievement for all learners high."