Q&A With Souhegan's New Principal Rob Scully

Souhegan High School students will see a new face in the principal’s office when they head to classes in the fall.

Rob Scully, formerly the Dean of Students at the high school, will serve as the interim principal for the 2013-14 school year. This comes after the sudden resignation of former principal Jon Ingram last month.

Scully has 26 years of experience in education that started with a twelve-year stay at Londonderry High School. He has been with Souhegan High School for the past 14 years teaching 9th grade English, coaching and serving as an advisor. The longtime educator was named the Dean of Students last year before taking on his new role as principal.

He has a bachelor’s degree in English teaching and a master's degree in teacher leadership and education administration from UNH. Scully recently completed his Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies with a concentration in Education Specialist in Administration and Supervision at the university.

Amherst Patch sat down with Souhegan’s newest principal to talk about his new role:

Patch: Describe the process of becoming the interim principal at Souhegan

Scully: A lot of schools will say they have an administrative team, but what we have done here is work really had to work in conjunction as a leadership team. When the situation arose that we were in need of a principal, they took over and worked together throughout the process of finding one. When I was offered the interim position I saw it as an extension of that team’s work. I was really excited and glad to continue the momentum from that.

Patch: What do you think it takes to be a successful principal at Souhegan?

Scully: I think one of the things required to be a successful principal is one of the hardest things. Your job is so much about creating a great learning experience for students, but some of your responsibilities take you away from that. I was in a classroom for 24 years and I stayed in the classroom because that is where I like being. Now, what I hope to bring to this position is a really recent connection to the most important element of the school: the students. My closer connection to the student body after so many years should be a benefit.

Patch: What do you want to focus on this year?

Scully: The strength of Souhegan is collaboration and being a part of a team. We have gained a lot of the momentum over the last couple years. What we want to continue is the theme of evolving. We are really loyal to our fundamental beliefs, but as we get older want to move towards becoming 21st Century educators. I want to make sure we create lots of training and professional development opportunities to achieve that. Teachers and students need to feel supported and given the right resources as we move towards the future.

Patch: What is the most important thing you’ve learned over your years in education?

Scully: There are a lot of interests that need to be served in a school environment, but I have learned is that you can get caught up if you try and serve them all. It is about remembering what is at the root of all of this; what is the student experience in the classroom. What is the student interest, what can we do to serve it and what do teachers need to do their best work. We are here for the students and be an open support system for our educators and the community.  

Patch: What message would you like to give parents and other members of the community?

Scully: The most important thing is that they know that the people here have the student’s best interest in mind. There is just such a sincere, genuine interest in the students from the faculty and staff. When I look Souhegan, the one thing that makes me the most comfortable as we evolve, is that we have a dedicated school community here. There is a real effort being made every day on behalf of these students.

Patch: Fun question time! What do you like to do in your spare time?