Schools
School Board to Vote on New Seaholm Principal Tuesday
Letter sent to students, teachers and parents names Dee Lancaster of Ohio as administration's recommendation to replace retiring Terry Piper.
Dee Lancaster, a middle school principal from Oxford, OH, has been chosen as the new principal of and goes before the Birmingham Board of Education on Tuesday for final approval to replace .
In a letter addressed to the Seaholm community dated Feb. 15 (PDF attached), Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Jon Dean named Lancaster as the administration's choice after .
Lancaster is the principal of Talawanda Middle School in Oxford, OH. She was also an elementary school principal and assistant high school principal in the Talawanda district since 1998. Before that, she graduated from Miami University, also in Oxford.
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Lancaster would not comment on the decision, she said, until she goes before the board Tuesday. The district acknowledged sending out the email to parents and students, but would not comment until after the board meeting.
According to Dean's letter, Lancaster was chosen because of her passion for instruction and students. "Dee demonstrated to the interview teams her commitment to advocating for students, her ability to work collaboratively with staff, her passion for instruction and her commitment to high standards for all students," Dean says in the letter.
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More than 45 teachers, administrators, students and parents were involved in the search and interviewing process, Dean said, including screener interviews, full-committee interviews, reference checks, writing prompts, a site visit and individual interviews with Superintendent David Larson. Interviews began Feb. 8.
The position attracted a "," especially considering the pool for secondary school principals is typically smaller than the same position in an elementary or middle school, said Marcia Wilkinson, community relations director for Birmingham Public Schools.
If approved by the school board, Lancaster will replace Piper, who has been principal at Seaholm for 13 years. She would not officially start until July 1, but would attend a variety of events with staff, students and parents before then.
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