New Principal Named for Middle School (Daily Hamphire Gazette, March12, 2008)

By MARY CAREYStaff Writer Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Wildwood search reopened By MARY CAREYStaff Writer AMHERST - Glenda Cresto, director of a Boston school-based teacher training program, will be the new principal at Amherst Regional Middle School beginning next year, Superintendent Jere Hochman has announced. Cresto and Michael Hayes, interim co-principal at ARMS, were the two finalists for the position. Mary Cavalier, the previous principal, left two years ago. "I'm really pleased with the superintendent's choice," said Steven Brewer, a member of the interview committee. "It must have been an extremely difficult decision. I thought both finalists were extremely well qualified." Brewer said he's particularly impressed with Cresto's ability to listen to a wide range of people and her desire to have the school become more engaged in the community. "Her interests and abilities in having students do meaningful work in the community, I think, will be a particular strength and exactly what's needed." Cresto said she and her partner recently bought land in Williamsburg and are planning to build a house there. Another round Meanwhile, the search for a Wildwood Elementary School principal will be reopened. "We feel we have time to secure a permanent principal for the building," said Kathryn Mazur, human resources director for the schools. Wildwood parent Molly Whalen, who attended community meetings with all of the candidates, said there were two she would have liked to have seen in the position. One of them, Ray Sharick, of Amherst, currently the principal at Fisher Hill Elementary School in Orange, was appointed to Fort River Elementary School. The other, Jill Pasquini-Torcia, is believed by parents to have been offered the job, but chose the principal position at Mosier Elementary School in South Hadley instead. "I was enthusiastically anticipating, so now I'm disappointed," Whalen said. She said she doesn't know what else could be done but to reopen the search. "I think it's unfortunate, because we've had two high-turnover principals at our school, and I think it would be good for the whole community if we could settle in with somebody," Whalen said. "Of course, everybody's wondering whether there will be an interim principal." Hochman has not said yet whether there would be one. There were five finalists for three elementary school positions. Hochman appointed Michael Morris, the assistant principal at Crocker Farm Elementary School, to the principal post there and Sharick to the Fort River Elementary School post. The remaining three finalists were Sandra Delaney, a Newton schools administrator; Pasquini-Torcia, a former Brockton teacher and administrator; and Catarina da Silva, a doctoral candidate at New York University. Mark Prince, principal at Wildwood for two years, announced several months ago that he would not be returning to the post next year.