Keefe Technical School Principal to Retire

Prinicpal Patricia Canali will retire, effective June 24, for health reasons.

South Middlesex Regional Vocational Technical School District Superintendent James Lynch, in announcing the news last night, said it was news the administration was "not interested in hearing."

Lynch told the Regional School Committee that the injury Canali sustained, when she fell off a stage, was “more permanent than we would like to accept."

Canali stepped backwards, while setting up for an awards program, and fell backwards into the orchestra pit. She injured both her neck and right knee.

Her doctors have advised her that the best way to recover is to take her retirement and use the time to allow her body to heal and get back to a position where she can feel healthy again.

“She frankly has not felt healthy since the fall,” said Lynch, although she has not missed a day due to it.

The former Milford High School assistant principal began her role at Keefe Technical in July 2008. Canali submitted her intention to retire in Nov.

Lynch  said they had kept it quiet until now, because they thought it would be a distraction from the day-to-day running of the school.

Lynch also conceded he had hoped “something would happen” and she would change her mind.

“It's very difficult for all of us,” said Lynch.

Principal Canali who attended last night's regional School Committee meeting  was in tears, when her retirement was announced.

She thanked Lynch for a “wonderful experience. The kids here are phenomenal, terrific, terrific kids. It's just a great place to work,” Canali said. But she felt she “had to do this [retire].”

Canali had more than three decades of experience in education before coming to Framingham. In addition to being the assistant principal at Milford High and working as a teacher, she was a vocational guidance counselor at Assabet Valley Regional Vocational Technical School in Marlboro and a guidance counselor at Hopkinton High School and Milford High School. Canali also served as the Director of Guidance Services K-12 at the Mendon-Upton Regional School District.

Canali was appointed principal after Lynch was promoted to Superintendent. Lynch said  he would be communicating with the School Committee soon on appointing Canali’s successor.

Keefe Tech has about 650 students from Framingham, Ashland, Holliston, Hopkinton and Natick.