East Hampton High School Principal Leaving

After 16-plus years at East Hampton High School, Dr. Linda C. Berry is leaving as principal.

Dr. Berry will be the Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment at Regional School District 13 in Durham beginning this summer.

“It’s definitely with mixed feelings,” Berry said. “It’s been a great run as they say. Great kids, parents have been excellent, teachers have been great. It’s been a wonderful opportunity for me here. You never know when other opportunities come forward and this next opportunity is one I’m looking forward to.”

Berry took over on Jan. 3, 1995, for assistant principal David Griffin, who had been filling in for former principal Jane Baljevic. Baljevic had left for a similar position at Foran High School in Milford.

Prior to her arrival at East Hampton, Berry was the assistant principal at Pomperaug High School in Southbury. From 1981-91 she had been a health teacher at Avon High School.

Upon taking the position in East Hampton, Berry said at the time she thought the size of the high school would allow her to build an intimate relationship with students and parents.

She won’t be leaving disappointed.

“I think the small size enabled me to know most of the parents, to have a close relationship so that you get to know different children as they come along within a family and get to have a context of the whole family, that was helpful to me,” Berry said. “It’s a very close, tight knit community and that was very helpful in terms of supporting me in the transition to a new job and new community. I stayed as long as I did because of the kindness and friendliness of everyone here. The students have been wonderful here and I couldn’t have asked for a better situation for my first principalship.

Berry’s departure means there will be a complete change in top leadership at East Hampton High School for the next school year. Michael Dalton, a teacher at Guilford High School, will be the new assistant principal, replacing Donald Gates, who had been filling an interim role.

Gates has been filling the position vacated by Anthony Gasper. Gasper left last summer to become the assistant superintendent in Ansonia.

The East Hampton Board of Education accepted Berry’s resignation Monday night at its regularly scheduled meeting. Berry will continue as principal through July 1.

"I'm very sad for me and very happy for her," school superintendent Dr. Judith Golden said. "It's something she has aspired to since I came here. I have worked with her - she has done many district administrative pieces for curriculum and for professional development. She is ready and she is well deserving of this promotion. We will miss her, but I know she is really looking forward to it. I'm happy for her."

As for the search for a new principal, Dr. Golden said she would be meeting with the board personnel committee Tuesday in executive session and "we should know more" after that, but declined to comment further.