Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Fall 2015 | Page 20

Middle School

Principal Tiffany
Regan Robert ’00
(center) stands with
her team, the staff
of the Thornton
Academy Middle
School.

Principal Tiffany Regan Robert ’00 reflects on the Middle School’s first ten
years of building “a climate of respect” and celebrates the start of the next
decade.
Tiffany Regan Robert ’00 joined Thornton Academy
Middle School’s faculty the first year it was founded.
As a full-time 6th grade teacher, little did she know
that four years later she would end up leading the new
school as Principal for
most of its first decade.

that I could apply what I was learning as a classroom teacher
to my leadership role. I said ‘yes’ because I was passionate
about making a difference, about having an impact on student
experience by working with the teachers. I try to be my staff ’s
biggest cheerleader; I help
them do the best they can
“Over the years, student diversity at the Middle School has
with their students. For
increased. Now, in addition to Arundel students, we serve
example, I help teachers—if
students from Saco, Dayton, Scarborough, South Portland and the five or six strategies
Portland. Even though the Arundel contract is ending, we will that they normally use
continue to be a choice for Arundel families. We were built as aren’t working—to identify
additional instructional
their school and we will continue to serve them. The school
strategies that work best for
is thriving and we’ve never been positioned better. That will
particular students.

“I had completed
my bachelor’s at the
University of MaineFarmington with
a certification in
elementary education
when a mentor
continue.”
suggested that I enroll
in the Masters in
“We all know how much
Education Leadership
society is emphasizing
program at the University of Southern Maine. I loved
standardized testing right now. I help guide the teachers to
Thornton Academy and the Middle School already.
find a middle ground with respect to this testing. At Thornton
Then, former Headmaster Carl Stasio offered me the
Academy, we don’t want to ‘teach to the test,’ but we do find
opportunity to become Principal. Not in a million years
value in saying ‘what can we learn from these test results?’ I
did I expect to work as an administrator. But I found
like having those conversations with staff.

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