Pocantico School District Appoints Veteran Staffer as Principal

The Pocantico Hills School District recently appointed Adam Brown as the new principal and curriculum leader.

Brown, who was Pocantico’s director of curriculum and technology, started in his new position August 8. He replaces Brent Harrington, who left the district at the end of June.

“When I met with Adam regarding this position, one thing stood out – his love for the Pocantico Hills community and respect for our teachers, staff and students,” Superintendent Richard Calkins wrote in a letter to the community. “He said that our district is where he wants to be, that our students are amazing and that we have a highly talented and committed staff.”

Calkins, who has been superintendent since July 1, said Brown “made it clear that he was willing to help in any capacity and believes that he can positively impact our district as the building principal.”

The superintendent said the staff and community members he spoke with overwhelmingly agreed that an ideal principal would be someone with a background in elementary/middle school education, who values relationships and loves working in such a wonderful school district.

Brown has been a key and valued member of the Pocantico family since 2004, Calkins said. He previously served as principal.

“Whenever needed, he has never hesitated to step forward and help,” the superintendent said. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this position and is a proven educational leader who has a genuine love for Pocantico.”

Calkins said Brown’s appointment is exciting because, in addition to having a great new principal in place, the district’s administrative team is complete and ready to support students, teachers and staff.

“With Adam assuming his new role as principal and curriculum leader, we have streamlined our overall administrative footprint by eliminating the administrative position of director of curriculum and technology, as we believe that this will allow us to align the resources in a manner that most directly benefits our students,” Calkins said.

The district will need targeted support in several key areas that Brown was responsible for in his previous capacity, including instructional and administrative technology and the chief information officer position, the superintendent said. To date, the district has hired a math specialist and enlisted the support of other subject-specific instructional consultants, he said.