Principals Clery, Strasnick Leaving Melrose Schools

Two more Melrose elementary principals are on the move, as Principal Kerry Clery and Principal Jeff Strasnick are leaving for positions elsewhere.

Clery is taking a curriculum director position in Groton-Dunstable Schools, Superintendent Joe Casey said on Tuesday morning. Wilmington Superintendent Joanne Benton announced in a press release Tuesday morning that Strasnick is taking the principal position at the  and , which cover grades K-3.

The two principals join in their departure Hoover School Principal Dr. Dennet Sidell, , responsible for grades K-5 and discipline for grades K-8.

Casey expressed confidence that Melrose would be able to fill the three open elementary principal positions before the start of the next school year.

"At this point and time, I still think we have enough leeway to go out and find principals for those schools that are open," he said. "Even though some people are leaving, the average time that a lot of people spend in districts is around four years. This is not a reflection on Melrose, but rather it’s a reflection that we’re hired people, they’ve grown in their careers and they’re looking to take on new challenges."

Kerry Clery

Clery took the helm at the Roosevelt School at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year. Before coming to Melrose, she had worked at The Pike School in Andover, developing and implementing curriculum for both the second and fourth grades and for the school’s summer curriculum, according to the Melrose Free Press. She also previously worked as the interim assistant principal at Tyngsborough Elementary School, where she had previously worked as a third grade and fifth grade teacher, before taking the Roosevelt principal job.

"We would like to thank Ms. Kerry Clery for her time in Melrose," Casey said. "We found her to be a passionate, collaborative leader who was able to integrate technology into the classrooms and always made children her first priority."

Jeff Strasnick

Strasnick, a Melrose resident, also started at the Horace Mann School at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year. He previously worked as the assistant principal at Dever Elementary School in Boston, and as an elementary math coach for the Dever School and Orchard Gardens Pilot K-8 School in Boston, according to the Melrose Free Press. In his math coach role, he was involved with anaylzing student data and providing professional development.

"Mr. Strasnick came to us from Boston," Casey said, "worked with the Melrose community and especially the Horace Mann community to move his school forward. He helped us specifically in the areas of math and technology. We wish him well going forward and we’d like to thank him for his time and service for the youth of Melrose."

Ask what accomplishment he's most proud of during his tenure at the Horace Mann, Strasnick told Melrose Patch it's the team of people that have been put in place at the school, citing numerous retirements over years that presented difficult changes at the school.

"I’m sad that I’m leaving, but I’m also happy knowing that the school is in a really good place with dedicated staff, from the secretaries, to the teachers, to everybody," he said. "I think that’s what I’m probably most proud of—putting together a team that works well together and has the same vision.

In interviewing for the Wilmington job, Strasnick said that as a candidate he's also interviewing the district and administrators to see if it's a right fit. After a site visit in Wilmington and one at the Horace Mann, "I felt really welcome and thought they worked well together."

He also examined the Wilmington school improvement plans and strategic plans to see if his skills match what the district is trying to accomplish.

"They’re working on math and technology and those are some of the things I’m stronger in, so I thought right there is a good fit," he said. "The K-3 is also different. I’m interested in being able to focus just on the younger grades— not that I didn’t enjoy the 4th and 5th  grades—but you can just focus on certain grades and not such a wide grade span. I’m looking forward to seeing how that works."

Wilmington Superintendent Benton said that Strasnick's hire will bring stability to the two schools.

"Woburn Street and Wildwood have not had stability at the top for the past few years," she said. "We are excited that Jeff will be bringing his expertise to the two schools."

Wilmington Patch Editor Matthew Schooley contributed to this report.