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New principal gets right to work at East Longmeadow High School

Date: 7/18/2011

July 18, 2011

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW — For new high school principal Gina Flanagan, East Longmeadow isn’t just a job. It’s home.

Flanagan told Reminder Publications the kind of neighbors East Longmeadow residents proved to be through trying times made her decision to apply for the open principal’s position vacated by Michael Knybel an easy one.

“When my late husband died of cancer, this community was so incredibly kind to me and my family,” Flanagan said. “I feel like taking this position is my contribution to a community that has done so much for us.”

Flanagan, who officially started at East Longmeadow High School on July 8, has two children already in East Longmeadow schools.

Flanagan joins the district from Ludlow High School, where she succeeded Gordon Smith, who left Ludlow to become the superintendent in East Longmeadow. Before that, she was the assistant principal of curriculum and instruction at Mooresville High School in North Carolina.

She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Barry University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Massachusetts — Amherst. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership and curriculum and instruction at Boston College.

Flanagan was one of 31 applicants for the position and one of eight that were called in for interviews in front of a panel of 12 that included two School Committee members, two administrators, two high school teachers, two high school parents, council representatives, the school’s executive secretary and a junior and senior from the school.

Flanagan said she was impressed with the inclusion of the public in the hiring process.

“Research has shown that in high performing school districts, there is collaboration and trust between all stakeholders — the parents, the students, the superintendent, the school committee and the administrative team,” she said. “The process used by East Longmeadow illustrates the strong base in collaboration needed for a strong school system.”

After meeting with that committee, Flanagan was one of three candidates to be invited to a second interview with the superintendent, assistant superintendent, school committee chair and a representative from the teachers’ union.

Smith said Flanagan’s work with education technology was a major factor in the decision to hire her.

“At Mooresville High School, Gina was able to work with a lot of instructional technology,” Smith said. “She has received some really great experience that she is bringing to East Longmeadow in regards to not only using that technology, but how to connect it with our assessment tools.”

Flanagan said that she is impressed with the fact that East Longmeadow has taken steps to get more technology in the classroom, such as Mimio technology, but added, “there are so many levels that have not been touched yet.”

“I spent two and a half years [at Moorehead High School] in a one-to-one laptop school, meaning every kid had a laptop,” Flanagan said. “At the last school district [Ludlow], it was very difficult to implement things because of the budget issues that are affecting a great number of districts, but in East Longmeadow, I want to make technology a piece of the focus of what we do as educators.”



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