Village School Principal Heading to Arlington

Former Village School principal Michael Hanna will take over at in Arlington in July.

recently accepted the position, the Arlington Public Schools announced earlier this morning.

“We are very pleased to welcome [Hanna] to Arlington,” Superintendent Kathleen Bodie said in a statement. “[He] brings a leadership style that is approachable and thoughtful, along with a good sense of humor.”

Hanna, who will start July 1, has led since 2009. Prior to that, he was a curriculum director and classroom teacher in the district for eight years.

Hanna’s current contract wasn’t renewed in Marblehead, for the full story. In February, he said Marblehead’s superintendent based this decision on “philosophical differences,” according to the report.

Hanna’s appointment means that Arlington will have a dedicated principal at each of its seven elementary schools next school year. In the current school year, the town has six, as Stratton is led by Sheri Donovan, who is also the principal at .

Donovan is being assisted by Jacqueline Daley, a lead teacher at Stratton who serves as administrative liaison. Longtime Stratton principal Alan Brown retired at the end of last school year.

Hanna was selected after Arlington re-opened its search. The district and even made an offer to Maureen Devlin, the associate head of school at the Rio Grande School in Sante Fe, N.M. However, Devlin decided to accept a different offer, from a private school in another state.

At the time, Bodie said that she did not want to offer the position to either of the two other finalists.

Hanna has also taught at the college level, including classes ranging from philosophy to logic, and business ethics to French, at Salem State University, North Essex Community College, Bristol Community College and Fitchburg State University.

He has degrees from Seattle University, Boston College and Endicott College and is currently a doctoral candidate in educational leadership at Lesley University.