Brian Miller and Katie Stahl have hit the ground running as newly hired co-principals at Concord-Carlisle High School following former Principal Michael Mastrullo’s resignation in early March. Superintendent Laurie Hunter formalized their leadership several weeks ago, but Miller and Stahl have served as acting co-principals since Mastrullo went on leave due to family obligations in August.
“The unique experiment of having co-principals has proven incredibly successful. Mr. Miller and Mrs. Stahl lead with competence, compassion, and a vision for ongoing progress at CCHS,” Hunter said.
Miller explained that Dr. Hunter’s decision to appoint the two former assistant principals as a team, while unconventional, will help them to better tackle the extensive responsibilities of leading the school. “The demands of high school principalship these days are so immense that having someone to collaborate with and talk it through really allows us to do our best work,” he said. “We’ve worked together for four years. Some of the hardest four years of our careers have been together, through Covid, so this felt like the next logical progression for our work together,” Stahl added.
Their roles require them to manage and support roughly 1,500 people; from ensuring that students feel taken care of, to making sure lunch is ready and soap is in the dispensers, Miller said. “There’s nothing Brian and I wouldn’t do,” Stahl stated, “we are always all hands on deck for whatever is needed within the building, and that changes day to day… hour to hour.”
In their inaugural months, Miller and Stahl have already amended the school’s bell schedule to provide more flexibility to students and faculty.
“This will allow teachers and students more time to get what they need throughout the school day whether that be around their social emotional needs, their academic needs, their physical needs” Stahl said. “Teachers will have more collaboration time to really focus on their teaching, their instruction, and to be able to share best practices.”
In the coming months, the co-principals will create a formal entry plan and hire a new Dean of Students and Assistant Principal to round out their leadership team. In a March 10 message, they shared their intention to “develop systems for deepening social-emotional learning and assisting with mental health challenges.” On March 16, they met with CCHS parents to discuss their vision for the school moving forward.
“I think that we were so disconnected for a couple years. Families, students, and faculty alike are all so happy to be back together in the school so I think a big piece of it is trying to create a greater sense of belonging and joy … and trying to get back to that pre-pandemic normalcy and community building,” Stahl said.
