Greenlaw excited about first day as Presque Isle High School principal

   PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Though the students may disagree, Ben Greenlaw is anxiously awaiting the first day of school.
Greenlaw is the new principal of Presque Isle High School. He takes over for Donna Lisnik who retired June 30.
“I’m a creature of habit, so I want to get into a routine,” said Greenlaw, 35. “I’m excited to meet the kids on the first day and be with the students, but I want to get into an everyday flow … a comfort zone. Having not done the job before, I don’t know what that’s going to be like, so I’m looking forward to getting used to being with the students and the staff in this role.
“I’m really excited to be given the opportunity to be the principal here. This is a great school. We’ve got excellent teachers, really good kids, supportive parents, and it’s a supportive community,” he said. “I’m just honored to be able to work here and to have this job.”
The son of Jane and the late Dick Greenlaw, Ben grew up in Lincoln.
“My father was actually the principal of Mattanawcook Academy for a long time. I graduated from there in 1997. There were a couple of times where I had to see him in the office, but nothing major,” laughed Greenlaw.
“I always say the good outweighed the bad,” he said. “As a kid, I can remember running the halls and playing in the gym, and feeling really connected to the school.”
Greenlaw said his whole family is “more or less” involved in education, but he originally had no plans to live in Maine or become a teacher.
“As I graduated high school and started to really think about what I wanted to do, I looked at the life that my parents had and looked at my own upbringing, and decided that being a teacher was a great way to go,” he said. “As I became a teacher, I started to think that it would be fun to be in an administrative role and try to impact more kids in a positive way than I was able to as a teacher.”
After receiving his bachelor of science degree in physical education from Springfield College in Massachusetts, Greenlaw taught physical education at Hampden Academy for nine years. From there, he became the assistant principal at PIHS for four years before accepting the job as principal. In 2006, he started working on his master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Maine at Orono, and finished his degree program in 2011.
Interestingly, Greenlaw’s father taught physical education in Fort Fairfield in the late 1970s-early ’80s. He later became assistant principal in SAD 20, before becoming principal at Mattanawcook Academy.
“I never really thought I was going to follow so closely in his footsteps,” said Greenlaw, “but that’s the way it panned out. I think he’d be proud of me.”
When Lisnik announced her retirement, Greenlaw said he knew he wanted to apply for the position.
“When I became assistant principal, my long-term goal was to be principal, so I was interested right from the beginning,” he said. “As principal you get to have a vision for what you want a school to be, how students are learning, how teachers are teaching and help them get better at their craft so they can positively impact students. It’s more of a big picture look at making the school a better place, and that’s exciting to me.”
Recognizing that there are “several big state mandates that we’ve got to catch up to,” Greenlaw said the new laws will benefit both students and teachers alike.
“I think the mandates will positively impact kids … one being the proficiency-based education law that says we’ve got to move more toward standards and making sure that a grade is less about a number and more about what a student can do,” he said. “It’s not going to be about students just showing up, sitting in a class and going through the motions to get a grade. They’re going to have to prove that they know the material to be successful.
“We’re also piloting a new teacher evaluation system this year, which goes back to my primary role of student learning,” said Greenlaw. “The hope is that the model will make our teachers even better. It’s about supporting them and helping them get better at their job, and the students will benefit from that.”
Greenlaw said he brings several positive attributes to the position of principal.
“I think I’m an effective communicator whether it’s with students, teachers or parents. I listen to people, but I’m not afraid to make a decision that I believe is in the best interest of our students, which are ultimately who I’m responsible for,” he said. “I think I have a positive attitude and a lot of energy.”
Greenlaw and his wife, Katie, have three children. Brent, 7, will be entering the second grade, while Libby, 4, starts pre-K this year. Their son, Casey, was born Dec. 6.
When he’s not busy working, Greenlaw enjoys watching and playing sports, and reading.
“I like the Boston area teams … the Patriots, Celtics and Red Sox,” he said, “but my favorite team is the Presque Isle Wildcats.”
The first day of school for PIHS students is Wednesday, Aug. 20.