Dr. Chris Record, the Assistant Superintendent for the Gorham School Department, has been named Maine’s 2020 Assistant Superintendent of the Year for his commitment and focus on creating an environment where all students can learn.
Record has led the Gorham School Department through meaningful professional development to help support students who are struggling with their social and emotional health. Along with this focus, he also realized in order to lead the charge, he needed to increase his own knowledge. He did so by attending an intense, three-part series on “Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools” by Dr. Cassie Yackley, an expert in dealing with the impact of poverty and trauma on children.
He also led the district in analyzing data for its Comprehensive Needs Assessment. This work led to the establishment of three district goals: to decrease the number of students who are chronically absent; to improve standards-based instruction and the continued development of assessments; and, to increase the knowledge and support of the social and emotional needs of their students.
These goals have driven the focus of the district’s Dropout Prevention Committee and its professional development plan and have resulted in improved student attendance and an increase in student achievement.
In response to the award, Record shared the honor.
“I continue to be very proud to serve the students, staff, and community of Gorham. I consider this a team win because I am surrounded by so much professional talent who work tirelessly to help all students succeed every day,” he said.
Record firmly believes that every decision made should improve teaching, increase learning and enhance the climate of Gorham School Department schools. His work on improving the teacher evaluation system by offering immediate, face-to-face constructive feedback was appreciated by teachers.
Record continues to ensure that every Gorham High School senior’s post-secondary destination has been painted on a large mural at GHS, planting seeds of aspirations in the district that have blossomed into a community-wide effort.
Record also serves his community in a variety of ways. He is an active member on the University of Southern Maine’s Professional Development Advisory Council and has worked closely with USM to improve the internship process for students. He also worked with the Gorham Police Department to bring the ALICE active-shooter protocol into the schools to ensure the safety of all students and staff.