HOULTON, Maine — RSU 29 is without a choral director following the abrupt resignation of Jason Anderson on Tuesday, July 23.
RSU 29 Superintendent Ellen Halliday confirmed Anderson’s resignation via email Tuesday afternoon as one of four recent resignations submitted to the district. Renda Elmore, an eighth grade math instructor; Sage Coldwell, a kindergarten teacher; and Jason Gilpatrick, technology coordinator/integrator, have all tendered their resignations.
“They have all left either due to a family member taking a position away or because they have accepted another position,” Halliday said.
“Since I finished my master’s degree in curriculum and instruction three years ago, I’ve been looking for opportunities to move into a leadership position,” Anderson said. “After applying to other districts around the state, this position opened up after school had ended for the year. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
The loss of Anderson leaves the music department without a choral director for the first time in nine years. The decision to leave the district was not an easy one for him.
“Although I will miss the great hardworking colleagues and students I had the opportunity to work with over the past nine years, this next step in my professional career was not going to come my way by convenience in the County,” he said. “We’re limited for those types of positions where we are (located).”
In his new role, as visual and performing arts specialist for the Maine Department of Education, Anderson will support public school arts teachers across the state by designing and delivering professional development, networking, and securing government funding for special projects/initiatives.
He still fondly recalls the first school musical he worked on when coming to the school district in the fall of 2010.
“The fall musical was ‘Grease,’ and some of the seniors included Tyler Delano, Marina DiMarco, Maryah Ranck, Wyatt Jenkins, and Marcy Hernandez,” he recalled. “I’ve seen a lot of awesome talent come through here in my nine years … kids I am most proud of who took their talents as far as they could, and some are still going.”
