Cooperstown Central Hires
New High School Principal
COOPERSTOWN – The Cooperstown Central school board announced today it has selected a new principal to lead Cooperstown Junior-Senior High School: Donna Lucy, an educator from Providence, R.I.
She takes over Aug. 1, succeeding Michael Cring, whose resignation was accepted last week by the school board. He is joining Arlington Central School District, near Poughkeepsie, as athletic director.
The school board also announced James M. Brophy is joining the district in the newly created position of K-12 director of comprehensive student programs and athletics on an interim basis for the 2016-17 school year. The plan had been to shift Cring from principal to that position.
Lucy was the founding principal of Evolutions High School in Providence. Evolutions is based on the Carnegie Design Principles, which emphasize personalized student learning experiences by leveraging technology to allow students to work at their own pace.
Prior to working for the Providence Public School District, Lucy worked in New York City schools an assistant principal of science security for 12 years, where she received Congressional recognition for excellence in STEM education.
She received a master’s in supervision and administration from Touro College and a bachelor’s from SUNY/Old Westbury.
“Ms. Lucy stood out in the interview process through her engaging personality and presence,” Interim Superintendent Michael K. Virgil said. “She brings some unique experiences to Cooperstown. We look forward to seeing what the future brings to our district under her leadership at the secondary school.”
Brophy, a 1972 graduate of Cooperstown, served as a longtime guidance counselor and social studies teacher at Edmeston Central School, as well as a building principal for ONC BOCES. He also spent 16 years coaching both boys and girls basketball at modified, junior varsity and varsity levels.
“Along with his duties as athletic director, he will be doing all of the unannounced observations of faculty, coordinating district testing, supervising our Academic Intervention Services program and overseeing our extracurricular programs,” Virgil said.
The search for a permanent superintendent to succeed C.J. Hebert, who died in an ATV accident in March, is continuing and an appointment is expected by Jan. 1.