Harwood gets a new assistant principal

October 15, 2024 | By Lisa Scagliotti

A transition took place last week at Harwood Union High School that restructured the administration team as Co-Principal Laurie Greenberg stepped down and staffer Jessica Deane was promoted to assistant principal. 

Harwood Union Middle/High School administrators left to right: Assistant Principal for the middle school Bethany Turnbaugh, former Co-Principal Laurie Greenberg, Principal Megan McDonough, newly appointed Assistant Principal Jessica Deane. Photo by April Rule

After working in her role alongside Co-Principal Megan McDonough since July 2020, Greenberg’s last day was Oct. 10. She announced her plans to step down this month at the start of the school year in August, citing a change in her family to move to Utah. 

Before the opening was to be posted, Harwood Superintendent Mike Leichliter recommended a slight restructuring of the school’s administrative team to no longer use a co-principal model. He suggested to the Harwood School Board that McDonough serve as the school’s principal with an assistant principal succeeding Greenberg. Harwood already has another Assistant Principal Bethany Turnbaugh who oversees the middle school. 

On Sept. 25, the School Board approved a promotion for Harwood staffer Jessica Deane to take on that new role. Leichliter said the district had two out-of-state applicants for the position along with Deane. 

McDonough said she, Deane and Turnbaugh are sorting out the change. “We intend to play to our strengths and areas of expertise in terms of how we divide our responsibilities,” she said. “Bethany's training and expertise is around social-emotional wellness. Jess' expertise and background is around teaching and learning and proficiency-based learning.”

McDonough said she looks back fondly on the time she and Greenberg worked side-by-side. “Working in partnership with Laurie has been one of the greatest gifts of my career,” she said. “One of the first principals I worked for always said that it was through challenging each other that we grow and learn the most. Never have I worked with a colleague who pushed and challenged me more. I will hold the lessons learned close and miss our daily friendship and the fun had together with the Harwood students.”

Deane has worked in the Harwood district since 2013, most recently with Harwood middle and high school teachers as Teaching and Learning Coordinator for the past four years. According to the school’s announcement, that role has been one of oversight, ensuring courses are rigorous and engaging, as well as working on enrichment opportunities for students in addition to regular classes. 

Whether and how Deane’s former and now vacant role will be filled is an open question. Superintendent Leichliter said the position will not be posted just yet. “Knowing this will be another tough budget year, we will wait and see what we need to do,” he said in an email. 

This year, the school district has sought to reduce staffing through attrition in an effort to reduce spending. In addition to scaling back the principal position from co-principal to assistant principal, two other administrative positions were cut for this school year. Before a replacement is hired for Deane’s former role, Leichliter said the administration would look for efficiencies. 

“Harwood is still a larger high school by Vermont standards, so we need some time to evaluate how these changes impact both mandated programming and service to students and families before being hasty in replacing Jess' [former] position,” Leichliter said. “We want to do all that we can to preserve student-facing positions.”

Newly appointed Harwood Assistant Principal Jessica Deane.  Courtesy photo

A Waterbury Center resident, Deane started at Harwood in 2013 teaching science, developing science curriculum across the district and working on developing and implementing the proficiency-based education system. 

A graduate of Mount Mansfield Union High School, Deane grew up in Jericho. She later attended the University of Rochester and began her teaching career in Brooklyn, New York, before returning to Vermont in 2008. 

Deane has also been active in the Harwood Union Education Association teachers union as a building representative, grievance chair, and co-lead negotiator in recent contract talks. The district and union this summer finalized a new three-year contract. Education Association Co-President Matt Henchen said that the organization’s executive committee would appoint a new member for the grievance role this week. 

Deane noted that her husband is also an educator and their children attend Brookside Primary and Crossett Brook Middle schools. As a teacher, parent and community member, she said she “feels a deep commitment to the Harwood district” and is excited to move into her new role as an assistant principal.