Weekly Interview: Pete Dawson (Printed Feb. 8, 2008)
Nelson Beaudoin will complete his final year as the
principal of Kennebunk High School and taking his place will be Pete
Dawson. Dawson is currently in Prague, Czech Republic, prompting The
Post to compile a Q&A interview with the incoming principal.
Where did you graduate college, what was your major?
My undergraduate work was at Union College in Schenectady, New York where I earned my Bachelors of Science in psychology. I earned my Masters and Educational Specialist degree in school counseling from the State University of New York at Albany. I then completed graduate coursework to earn administrative certification at the University of Southern Maine.
What is your work experience up to this point – places you have administered, countries you have traveled too, work you have done, etc.?
My professional life has been split between various public school systems in the U.S. and international schools abroad. I have been a counselor in the American International School in Vienna, the American School in Japan and the American Community Schools in Athens. I have been the high school principal or director at the American International School in Vienna, the American International School of Israel and the International School of Prague. My administrative positions in the U.S. have been director of guidance in the Windham School District, assistant principal at Lake Region High School, and high school principal at both Cape Elizabeth High School and Yarmouth High School.
I chose to come to Prague because of the beauty of the city itself and the surrounding area, its location in the heart of Europe, and the reputation of the International school of Prague. As the Upper School Principal at ISP, I am working with students from approximately 55 countries and faculty from a variety of backgrounds as well.
How did you hear about the Kennebunk position?
I had seen the notice on www.ServingSchools.com.
Where, in Maine, do you live? Where you born here? If not, where, and how did you end up in Maine?
We live in Scarborough, on the marsh, not too far from Higgins Beach. I was born in Elmira, New York and moved to Maine in 1981 after repeated visits to see my sister and other friends who lived in Maine. We were returning from Greece and decided that we wanted to move to a place where we could see ourselves staying for a long time. Because of our very positive experiences in Maine, we felt that this would be the place to have a home.
What are some of the qualities you have that you think got you this job?
I am probably not the best person to ask that question. I think the members of the committee would be better sources of that information.
Is there anything you have noticed about Kennebunk High School that is drawing you to it? In other words, why are you choosing to work there?
I have been fortunate to be part of very good schools in the state of Maine and abroad. Kennebunk High School is a school with that same type of reputation, of setting high standards and then supporting students in their attempts to meet those standards. Because of my experience with and respect for the International Baccalaureate program, I am eager to be part of a school in our state that is introducing the I.B. The decision by Kennebunk schools to take this initiative says to me that this is a school system that is always looking to improve.
What policies or codes do you already see as problematic or in need of change?
It would be presumptuous of me to assume that I know enough about the school to prescribe changes at this point. I see my job during that first six months or so to be doing a lot of listening and a lot of observing. In the first couple of months, I will be trying to meet and talk with as many teachers, students, parents and members of the community as possible. I suspect that after a time like that, we would together start focusing on certain areas that we would like to take to the next level.
What are the qualifications and philosophies you intend to bring to KHS?
I come to the school with a good deal of experience in other very good schools. I tend to want to focus on strategies that we can use to improve student learning. I favor a collaborative approach that emphasizes what we can each bring to the process of improving. In a school like KHS, it is important that we do not look at improvement from a deficit model. Wanting to do something better (for student, teacher or administrator) does not mean that what we are currently doing is poor or weak. I like to help to create or maintain an atmosphere where people feel comfortable trying to stretch and to grow, knowing that there is always the chance that efforts will not result in what was hoped for.
What is your stance on the ongoing reorganization talks here in Maine?
I would preface my answer by saying that I have not been in the state while all of the debate has taken place, so I may not be fully informed. That said, I am not a fan of creating larger schools. I think that schools where there is personal attention and connection have the best chances of supporting student success. Right now, the consolidation initiative is saying that eliminating schools is not the goal, but that shared services between existing schools is the target. I worry that, with time, the goal will be to combine schools as well. I also have yet to understand completely the actual financial impact versus the various projections.
How do you plan on tackling drug and alcohol issues without doing what has already been done?
If KHS has issues with drugs and alcohol, it is like almost every school or organization that works with people of this age. The solutions or approaches will not be a sprint, but will be a marathon and will take a steady consistent approach that involves the best efforts of the total community. Because I do not know what has been tried at KHS before, it is difficult to answer the latter part of the question.
In 2007 Kennebunk High School was the target of “terrorizing threats,” according to local police, and has since ramped up security on campus. How are you going to deal with this issue, how will you handle threats?
The best approach to eliminating threats is to minimize the number of students who feel disenfranchised while in school. From the results of surveys of KHS student attitudes toward school that I have seen, the school has been doing a great job in this regard. The data that I saw showed a steady and sizeable increase in the number of students who feel like they are part of KHS, who feel that they have a voice, who feel that there is an adult in the school to whom they can turn with questions. While security measures are part of an approach to minimizing threat, the progress mentioned here is at least an equal part of this effort.
Nelson Beaudoin never expelled a student- what is your stance on expulsion?
I have never liked it when we have arrived at the point of expelling a student. I see it as a shared failure. Yes, the student has not exhibited the type of behavior that allows him/her to be a part of the community. And yet, we, as a school, have not succeeded in bringing the student to where they need to be to remain a part of the school. Expulsion is a last resort.
Faculty and the public have stated concern about the KHS library – how high on your list of priorities is this?
An effective library/media center should be the center of supporting student/faculty learning. I do not know what the reasons for the outcry described are, but would want to hear the concerns of everyone involved and then plan together a strategy for making the improvements necessary.
What are some traits, plans, policies etc. that you will bring to the school that are unique to you as an administrator, as an educator as a person?
Please see answer to Question 8. I don’t know if I would call them unique, but I think they represent who I am as an educator.
What do you do for recreation? What do you read?
Favorite pastimes include a great deal of walking, almost all types of music, and reading. I tend to favor fiction and, at the moment, the books in which I am involved are “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier” and “Clay” by Michael Chabon and “The Terrorist” by John Updike. I admire people who can tell a good story and more and more, I especially appreciate the craft involved in telling a great short story.
What is it that has kept you working in this field for so long?
I continue to love going to work in the morning and working with people in this age group. While there are certainly themes that repeat themselves, every day is different. I can never think of any field of work that would make feel as good about what I do as being involved in education.
Staffing, policy, budgetary work and students – do you have a to-do list where one of these appears before another as being more important, or is your approach to management all-in-one?
Policy and budget should reflect priorities for the school. Hiring, supporting, and retaining the highest quality staff is of utmost importance. But at the center of all of these efforts is the improved learning of the students. When talking of improved learning, it is important to remember that we are talking both about the formal curriculum and the growth of the whole person.
Kennebunk High School recently became the first, and only, school in Maine to be IB certified – How does this play into your plans for the future of the school?
After years of working in schools with the IB program and listening to the students who have worked with this program, I have become a firm supporter of this program and I think that Kennebunk has made a wise decision. Any strong curriculum needs a high quality cap that draws the rest of the curriculum to a higher point. The IB definitely does this, so it benefits all students, not just those who undertake the full diploma. The transition into the IB will require a thoughtful approach and solid problem-solving and will be worth every bit of effort put into it.
Describe your approach to management.
I try to know what’s going on by being out and about and seeing the everyday life of the school firsthand. I believe in listening to the viewpoints of all and weighing those viewpoints in decision-making. I believe that when we are at our best, we will be modeling the types of interactions, risk-taking, and problem-solving that we would be proud to see in our students
Will you have family with you in Maine?
My wife and I will be in our house in Scarborough, and our daughter, who is the product of international schools and the IB program is living in New York City. Being on the same side of the ocean as our daughter is a major part of our motivation to return.
Where did you graduate college, what was your major?
My undergraduate work was at Union College in Schenectady, New York where I earned my Bachelors of Science in psychology. I earned my Masters and Educational Specialist degree in school counseling from the State University of New York at Albany. I then completed graduate coursework to earn administrative certification at the University of Southern Maine.
What is your work experience up to this point – places you have administered, countries you have traveled too, work you have done, etc.?
My professional life has been split between various public school systems in the U.S. and international schools abroad. I have been a counselor in the American International School in Vienna, the American School in Japan and the American Community Schools in Athens. I have been the high school principal or director at the American International School in Vienna, the American International School of Israel and the International School of Prague. My administrative positions in the U.S. have been director of guidance in the Windham School District, assistant principal at Lake Region High School, and high school principal at both Cape Elizabeth High School and Yarmouth High School.
I chose to come to Prague because of the beauty of the city itself and the surrounding area, its location in the heart of Europe, and the reputation of the International school of Prague. As the Upper School Principal at ISP, I am working with students from approximately 55 countries and faculty from a variety of backgrounds as well.
How did you hear about the Kennebunk position?
I had seen the notice on www.ServingSchools.com.
Where, in Maine, do you live? Where you born here? If not, where, and how did you end up in Maine?
We live in Scarborough, on the marsh, not too far from Higgins Beach. I was born in Elmira, New York and moved to Maine in 1981 after repeated visits to see my sister and other friends who lived in Maine. We were returning from Greece and decided that we wanted to move to a place where we could see ourselves staying for a long time. Because of our very positive experiences in Maine, we felt that this would be the place to have a home.
What are some of the qualities you have that you think got you this job?
I am probably not the best person to ask that question. I think the members of the committee would be better sources of that information.
Is there anything you have noticed about Kennebunk High School that is drawing you to it? In other words, why are you choosing to work there?
I have been fortunate to be part of very good schools in the state of Maine and abroad. Kennebunk High School is a school with that same type of reputation, of setting high standards and then supporting students in their attempts to meet those standards. Because of my experience with and respect for the International Baccalaureate program, I am eager to be part of a school in our state that is introducing the I.B. The decision by Kennebunk schools to take this initiative says to me that this is a school system that is always looking to improve.
What policies or codes do you already see as problematic or in need of change?
It would be presumptuous of me to assume that I know enough about the school to prescribe changes at this point. I see my job during that first six months or so to be doing a lot of listening and a lot of observing. In the first couple of months, I will be trying to meet and talk with as many teachers, students, parents and members of the community as possible. I suspect that after a time like that, we would together start focusing on certain areas that we would like to take to the next level.
What are the qualifications and philosophies you intend to bring to KHS?
I come to the school with a good deal of experience in other very good schools. I tend to want to focus on strategies that we can use to improve student learning. I favor a collaborative approach that emphasizes what we can each bring to the process of improving. In a school like KHS, it is important that we do not look at improvement from a deficit model. Wanting to do something better (for student, teacher or administrator) does not mean that what we are currently doing is poor or weak. I like to help to create or maintain an atmosphere where people feel comfortable trying to stretch and to grow, knowing that there is always the chance that efforts will not result in what was hoped for.
What is your stance on the ongoing reorganization talks here in Maine?
I would preface my answer by saying that I have not been in the state while all of the debate has taken place, so I may not be fully informed. That said, I am not a fan of creating larger schools. I think that schools where there is personal attention and connection have the best chances of supporting student success. Right now, the consolidation initiative is saying that eliminating schools is not the goal, but that shared services between existing schools is the target. I worry that, with time, the goal will be to combine schools as well. I also have yet to understand completely the actual financial impact versus the various projections.
How do you plan on tackling drug and alcohol issues without doing what has already been done?
If KHS has issues with drugs and alcohol, it is like almost every school or organization that works with people of this age. The solutions or approaches will not be a sprint, but will be a marathon and will take a steady consistent approach that involves the best efforts of the total community. Because I do not know what has been tried at KHS before, it is difficult to answer the latter part of the question.
In 2007 Kennebunk High School was the target of “terrorizing threats,” according to local police, and has since ramped up security on campus. How are you going to deal with this issue, how will you handle threats?
The best approach to eliminating threats is to minimize the number of students who feel disenfranchised while in school. From the results of surveys of KHS student attitudes toward school that I have seen, the school has been doing a great job in this regard. The data that I saw showed a steady and sizeable increase in the number of students who feel like they are part of KHS, who feel that they have a voice, who feel that there is an adult in the school to whom they can turn with questions. While security measures are part of an approach to minimizing threat, the progress mentioned here is at least an equal part of this effort.
Nelson Beaudoin never expelled a student- what is your stance on expulsion?
I have never liked it when we have arrived at the point of expelling a student. I see it as a shared failure. Yes, the student has not exhibited the type of behavior that allows him/her to be a part of the community. And yet, we, as a school, have not succeeded in bringing the student to where they need to be to remain a part of the school. Expulsion is a last resort.
Faculty and the public have stated concern about the KHS library – how high on your list of priorities is this?
An effective library/media center should be the center of supporting student/faculty learning. I do not know what the reasons for the outcry described are, but would want to hear the concerns of everyone involved and then plan together a strategy for making the improvements necessary.
What are some traits, plans, policies etc. that you will bring to the school that are unique to you as an administrator, as an educator as a person?
Please see answer to Question 8. I don’t know if I would call them unique, but I think they represent who I am as an educator.
What do you do for recreation? What do you read?
Favorite pastimes include a great deal of walking, almost all types of music, and reading. I tend to favor fiction and, at the moment, the books in which I am involved are “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier” and “Clay” by Michael Chabon and “The Terrorist” by John Updike. I admire people who can tell a good story and more and more, I especially appreciate the craft involved in telling a great short story.
What is it that has kept you working in this field for so long?
I continue to love going to work in the morning and working with people in this age group. While there are certainly themes that repeat themselves, every day is different. I can never think of any field of work that would make feel as good about what I do as being involved in education.
Staffing, policy, budgetary work and students – do you have a to-do list where one of these appears before another as being more important, or is your approach to management all-in-one?
Policy and budget should reflect priorities for the school. Hiring, supporting, and retaining the highest quality staff is of utmost importance. But at the center of all of these efforts is the improved learning of the students. When talking of improved learning, it is important to remember that we are talking both about the formal curriculum and the growth of the whole person.
Kennebunk High School recently became the first, and only, school in Maine to be IB certified – How does this play into your plans for the future of the school?
After years of working in schools with the IB program and listening to the students who have worked with this program, I have become a firm supporter of this program and I think that Kennebunk has made a wise decision. Any strong curriculum needs a high quality cap that draws the rest of the curriculum to a higher point. The IB definitely does this, so it benefits all students, not just those who undertake the full diploma. The transition into the IB will require a thoughtful approach and solid problem-solving and will be worth every bit of effort put into it.
Describe your approach to management.
I try to know what’s going on by being out and about and seeing the everyday life of the school firsthand. I believe in listening to the viewpoints of all and weighing those viewpoints in decision-making. I believe that when we are at our best, we will be modeling the types of interactions, risk-taking, and problem-solving that we would be proud to see in our students
Will you have family with you in Maine?
My wife and I will be in our house in Scarborough, and our daughter, who is the product of international schools and the IB program is living in New York City. Being on the same side of the ocean as our daughter is a major part of our motivation to return.
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