Madison School Administrator Earns Promotion

Island Avenue School Principal Update via the Superintendent of Schools, Tom Scarice

As you are aware, Island Avenue School Principal, Doreen O'Leary, has formally given notification of her resignation at the conclusion of the 2017-2018 school year. I am certain that you will join me in wishing her the very best in this new chapter of her life.

I would like to take this moment to assure all Island Avenue School parents that our school district will continue, with an unwavering commitment, to provide the highest quality of educational programming that we possibly can to the students and parents of Island Avenue School. Critical to that commitment is the selection of a new Principal to lead the Island Avenue School community. The selection of an outstanding educational leader serves to honor and show respect for the student, parents, and staff of Island Avenue School.

With that, I am very pleased to inform the parents of the Island Avenue School community that Becky Frost, current Assistant Principal of Polson Middle School, has been appointed to serve as the Principal of Island Avenue School for the 2018-2019 school year.

Mrs. Frost is a former third grade teacher, an expert in the "Readers/Writers Workshop" language arts model we employ across the district, and trained in the Responsive Classroom model for social/emotional development and school culture that is used in our schools from elementary through middle school. She has served as Polson's Assistant Principal for six years, since the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. During that time she has established herself as an exemplary educational leader, a driving force to countless instructional innovations at Polson, and a district-wide leader as the Chair of our indispensable Whole Child Wellness Team.

Her rapport with students is beyond reproach, and she is held in high regard by the parents she serves. All the while, Becky Frost consistently performs at the highest levels with grace, humility, and a deep conviction about meeting the needs of all kids and the "whole child".

Mrs. Frost and Mrs. O'Leary have worked together as colleagues for the past five years. They have collaborated on a number of district-wide projects and served together on various district-wide committees. I am confident that their collegial approach will ensure a smooth leadership transition process. Creating stability and the highest quality of education during this year of change will be assured with Becky Frost as the principal of Island Avenue School.

Becky is eager to begin her tenure as the Island Avenue School Principal. She has struggled to contain her enthusiasm, and expressed a deep desire to roll her sleeves up, meet the students, staff, and parents of Island Avenue School, and to begin to serve the school community with the highest level of devoted leadership that this school community deserves.

I have complete confidence that Becky Frost will serve the Island Avenue School community, as she has for the past six years, in an exemplary manner.

Please stay tuned for subsequent notifications announcing a "Meet The Principal" event in which students and parents can informally interact with Becky in the coming weeks.

Thomas Scarice
Superintendent of Schools
Madison Public Schools