Finalist For Manchester High Principal Position Named

The finalist for the position of full-time principal at Manchester High School has been selected and is slated to tour the school on Tuesday, but the superintendent released his name to staff at the high school Friday after he said it had already been circulating around the building. 

According to a memo Interim Superintendent Richard Kisiel sent to staff at Manchester High School Friday, the finalist for the position is Matthew A. Geary, the current principal at Watertown High School.

"I had intended to wait until the weekend to announce the name of the high school principal finalist to allow him to announce his finalist status to his Board of Education, Superintendent, and his staff," Kisiel wrote in his memo to Manchester High staff. "However, I heard yesterday that his name and school district were circulating in faculty discussion. I called him yesterday to alert him. He plans to notify his staff today."

According to Kisiel, Geary has served as principal of Watertown High since 2007, served as an assistant principal at the school for two years before that, and began his teaching career at Amity Regional High School, where he spent five years teaching mathematics. Geary graduate from Fairfield University with a bachelor's of science degree in mathematics from Fairfield University, where he also obtained a master's, according to Kisiel. Geary also has a master's degree in educational leadership from Capella University and completed the Executive Leadership Program from the University of Connecticut. He lives in Southington with his family, according to Kisiel. 

"His former superintendent described him as an administrator with a 'passion for teaching, a deep commitment to the power of visionary leadership, a strong understanding of best instructional practices at the secondary level, and a driving commitment to see young people succeed,'" Kisiel told Manchester High staff in his memo.

Board of Education Chairman Chris Pattacini told Patch Friday evening that Geary would visit Manchester High on Tuesday, followed by a visit to Watertown High on Thursday by the search committee that has identified Geary as the leading candidate for the position. Pattacini said that, barring any unforeseen calamities, the committee would then recommend to the Board of Education that it hire Geary as the next full-time principal at Manchester High. 

"We certainly are looking forward to having him on board as quickly as possible," Pattacini said, adding that, if hired, Geary could be in place at Manchester High as principal within a month. "We'd like to move as quickly as possible." 

Manchester High has been without a permanent principal since former Superintendent Kathleen Ouellette placed former Principal Kevin in January of 2011. Ouellette , a retired administrator from the Plainville school district with years of experience, as interim principal in February of 2011, and he has been in that position since. system at the end of the 2010-11 school year. 

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