Music teacher makes jump to principal

According to Superintendent Tracy Wrend, the Lamoille South Supervisory District hasn’t yet inked a two-year contract with Lacasse, so no particulars are yet available on her pay level. But Lacasse accepted the two-year offer Monday.

“She is extremely reflective and professional, and presents a compelling mission for the school,” Wrend said. “She exudes kindness calmness, curiosity and a sense of humor, all at once.”

At first blush, it might seem a stretch for a teacher of the arts — whether the discipline is visual, musical or theatrical — to step over to the administrative side of things. But Lacasse said the structural, composed nature of music also lends itself to the analytical and organizational demands of a principal.

“For me, it’s extremely natural. I like to orchestrate things,” she said.

And she has plenty of administrative experience on her resume. She has been part of committees that help choose and shape curriculum and assessment standards. And she has helped run the Lamoille South’s “colleague support system,” which assigns veteran teachers to mentor new professionals during their first year in the classroom.

“I’m the mentor mentor,” she chuckled.

Wrend said Smiles was very helpful in telling staff members early that he’d be done at the end of this school year. Like a well-stocked pond at the beginning of fishing season, there were more good catches available the earlier the search started.

Between 30 and 40 candidates applied for the job. A screening team led by Stowe Middle School Principal Dan Morrison — it also had some parents and a student on it — winnowed that list to three finalists.

Now, there’s a job opening in the music classroom.

Again, starting the music teacher search soon, before teacher contracts have been negotiated and sent out, improves Stowe Elementary’s chances of finding a good candidate, Wrend said.

Lacasse will at least partly oversee the hiring of her replacement, and while she said she’ll “be the new music teacher’s best advocate,” she doesn’t want to push her own style of music instruction.

When she started, there were no guitars hanging on the wall, nor was there the fifth-grade musical she’s been organizing for years. Who knows what instruments or plans the new person will bring?

“I’ve been able to pursue my passions here, and that’s the best thing for the next music teacher,” she said. “I wouldn’t want just another version of me there.”

Likewise, she has no intentions of being a clone of Richard Smiles. That’s a big pumpkin to fill. She doesn’t foresee herself sticking her head in a gourd and walking around Main Street — a Halloween hallmark of the outgoing principal.

“It would be impossible to be another Mr. Smiles,” Lacasse said.

One of the main challenges facing any Vermont school administrator, new or old, is dealing with ever-changing education laws coming out of Washington (the Every Child Succeeds Act) and Montpelier (Act 46). It might be tempting for a principal to act as a shield for the faculty, but Lacasse has a different mindset, preferring that all school staff members are playing off the same sheet of music.

“It’s the opposite, actually,” she said. “I think the job of the administrator is to make sure teachers are well-informed about the classroom ramifications of the new laws.”

Wrend and Lacasse pepper their conversations with praise for the Stowe Elementary faculty members, not just for their talent, but also for their patience and cooperation in the search.

After all, most of them have never had another boss besides Smiles, so change could bring anxiety.

“They haven’t been through an administrative search in, what, 22 years?” Wrend said.

“They’ve been thoughtful, reflective and positive contributors to this process and have made a huge difference in making sure that the next 22 years are as wonderful as the past 22 years.”