Peter Hallen named assistant superintendent for Waterville Public Schools

WATERVILLE — Peter Hallen, who for the past 10 years has served as director of the Mid-Maine Complex Heart, is the new assistant superintendent of Waterville General public Faculties.

Hallen, 50, was the unanimous choice of a look for committee that interviewed 4 of 8 persons who utilized for the task, and the Waterville Board of Instruction on Monday voted 7- to approve Hallen’s appointment.

“I’ve imagined for several years that this district requires an assistant superintendent,” college board Chair Joan Phillips-Sandy stated just after the board conference. “I’m very fired up that we last but not least have a single, and I assume Peter Hallen is going to be fantastic.”

Waterville educational institutions have been without the need of an assistant superintendent for five years. Peter Thiboutot, who now is superintendent of Winslow educational facilities, was assistant superintendent for Alternative Organizational Construction 92, which bundled Waterville, Winslow and Vassalboro. That composition dissolved in 2018 soon after nine yrs, and Winslow hired Thiboutot as superintendent. Waterville went back again to currently being Waterville Public Schools with Eric Haley, who was the superintendent of AOS 92, turning into the superintendent in the town, with no assistant.

Phillips-Sandy claimed Hallen will operate portion-time as assistant superintendent for a couple of months though he transitions from the technological heart, which is based in Waterville.

Haley, a member of the look for committee, stated the panel was amazed with the four who applied for the situation, but there’s “no concern Peter was the No. 1 applicant.”

Haley, who will flip 68 a long time old Thursday, is scheduled to go on health-related go away up coming week to have a hip alternative and Hallen will get about his duties for the duration of his leave. Haley plans to retire upcoming year and a superintendent research is scheduled to start off in the tumble.

School board member Pam Trinward, who also was a member of the lookup committee, stated Hallen was the best alternative for assistant superintendent.

“It was unanimous from the pretty beginning, with just about every member of the committee, that he was our most effective decision,” she claimed.

Hallen grew to become director of the technical centre in 2012 when Mark Powers retired. In advance of that, Hallen was the center’s college student services coordinator for 12 a long time. The technical center governance board, made up of superintendents and associates of the boards of administrators for sending educational facilities, picked Hallen to be director. The technological centre serves a lot more than 400 pupils from 12 cities and university districts such as Waterville, Winslow, Regional School Device 18 and Maine College Administrative District 49.

Hallen acknowledged after Monday’s assembly that he did not have aspirations to be assistant superintendent and was joyful with his career at the tech center. He mentioned he thinks strongly in profession and technical education and the tech middle is a flagship college. But when school officials started off speaking about the require for an assistant superintendent in January, he commenced to think  much more about his obligation to Waterville, wherever his 3 young children attended college.

“I’m seeking at a large amount of transitions occurring in educational facilities, on the (college) board, City Council and maybe at the state stage, and I felt like I was in the correct place personally and skillfully to step in and assistance if they required me to,” Hallen explained.

He stated he is enthusiastic to operate with potent school administrative crew associates, whom he explained as “smart, forward-pondering persons.”

Peter Hallen, director of the Mid-Maine Specialized Centre in Waterville, was named Monday as the assistant superintendent of Waterville Public Colleges. Amy Calder/Morning Sentinel

“I truly feel a lot of pounds heading into it simply because I know how vital the position is likely to be, but I’m so excited and hope that in my position I can however be a aspect in how occupation and complex education and learning performs a job in Waterville General public Educational facilities,” he reported.

Phillips-Sandy mentioned during the assembly that a few priorities experienced been determined all through discussions about the assistant superintendent posture, which includes that the assistant would work with homeless students, assist safe grant funding and offer with the concern of academic decline experienced throughout the pandemic.

Hallen, of Waterville, retains a certificate of innovative review in educational leadership from the College of Maine a Master of Arts in counseling in bigger education from Bridgewater Condition University in Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Arts in English and secondary instruction from Bridgewater State. He is certified by the Maine Office of Schooling to be an assistant superintendent.

Hallen’s wife, Lisa, is direction director at Waterville Senior Higher University.

Waterville Board of Training member Greg Bazakas asked many thoughts at Monday’s meeting about the assistant superintendent’s position, which includes income. Haley mentioned the income will be negotiated.

“This is an enjoyable time, and I’m hunting forward to getting Peter on board,” Bazakas mentioned.

Questioned following the assembly about Hallen’s appointment, look for committee member Cassie Julia reported she is excited for the foreseeable future of Waterville.

“I’m so pleased we have an assistant to help the superintendent’s place of work again after a five-year hiatus,” she claimed.

Committee member Samantha Delorie agreed.

“He is the great in shape for what we ended up looking for — any person who understands the local community and the educational institutions and the relevance of creating people connections and maintaining them potent,” she reported.

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