Schools
Former Darien Science Teacher to Be a Superintendent
The principal of Newtown High School since 2008, Dumais is taking over the regional school district that encompasses the towns of Orange, Woodbridge and Bethany.
Charles Dumais, principal of Newtown High School and a former science and math teacher at Darien High School, has been chosen as the next superintendent of the Amity School District (Region 5).
The Region 5 Board of Education announced it had hired Dumais during its meeting Monday night. He has been principal of Newtown High since January 2008.
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Dumais takes a job that has been held by John Brady for about the past 10 years. The district has improved its performance and reputation under Brady's leadership.
According to the regional school district, Dumais was selected from a pool of qualified candidates that surfaced through a lengthy and extensive search process.
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“We are thrilled that the long search for Amity’s next superintendent has culminated in the appointment of Charles (Chip) Dumais,” stated William Blake, chairman of the Amity Regional Board of Education. “Chip is a talented educator and leader, and has a history of success in every position he has held. He is a passionate advocate for students, and has an infectious enthusiasm for learning. We believe we have found the right person to lead Amity forward in preparing our children for the challenges of the ever changing world.”
Upon learning he had been selected, Dumais said, “It is a great honor to have been selected to be the Superintendent in a community that overwhelmingly demonstrates its commitment to students, athletics, and artists. I am excited to become a part of this great team of educators and am looking forward to contributing to the growth of this learning organization.”
Dumais will start as superintendent on March 1.
A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Dumais received his Bachelor of Science with a major in Physics in 1988, and Master’s of Science in Physics in 1993. He earned a Sixth-Year Educational Leadership certification in 2004 from Southern Connecticut State University and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Executive Leadership from the University of Connecticut in 2008. He anticipates receiving his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Central Connecticut State University in July 2014.
The release from the regional school district states that Dumais has had a distinguished career in education that began as a science teacher at Haddam-Killingworth High School in 1990.
He continued his teaching career as a physics and calculus teacher at Darien High School. He served as the Science Department Chairman at Trumbull High School before being appointed the Assistant Principal of Staples High School in Westport [Brady worked in the Westport district until 2004]. After four years, he became the Principal of Newtown High School.
Dumais is a member of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA).He also serves on numerous committees at the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS), including the Principals’ Center Board of Control, the CIAC Board of Control and the Professional Studies Committee. He was a founding member of the Crisis Response Team, and also formerly served as the chairman of the Technology Committee at CAS.
Editor's note: This article previously was published by Newtown Patch in somewhat different form.
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