Chester, Pa.—The Widener Partnership
Charter School, Pennsylvania’s first university-based charter school, appointed
April Thomas of Chesterbrook, Pa. as principal/CEO effective February 27.
Thomas replaces Dr. Darlene Davis who is stepping down to address family
medical issues.
Thomas joined Widener as assistant
principal last August after serving most of the last seven years as assistant
principal for school culture for Mastery Charter Schools in Philadelphia.
During that period, she also served eight months as a turnaround assistant
principal at Germantown High School.
As assistant principal, Thomas works
closely with students, teachers and families to enhance the positive school
climate; helps shape and lead the professional development program for
teachers, and assists Dr. Davis in implementing curriculum modifications and
development, according to Dr. Paula Silver, chair of the Widener Partnership
Charter School Board of Trustees.
“Whenever a school’s administrator
steps down, concerns about leadership and continuity understandably arise,” Dr.
Silver wrote in a letter to parents on November 20. “We are most fortunate to
be able to make, we believe, a seamless transition in leadership. In just a few
short months, Ms. Thomas has made her mark as a dynamic academic leader. All
who have had the opportunity to interact with Ms. Thomas have praised her as a
wonderful addition to our school.”
Thomas holds master’s degrees in reading
and educational leadership from Arcadia University and a bachelor’s degree in
sociology from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. She is certified in
Pennsylvania as a principal and reading specialist and holds English
certification for grades 7-12.
“I believe I have found my
professional home at Widener Partnership Charter School and I am committed to
taking the school to the next level,” Thomas said.
Since her appointment in July 2013,
Dr. Davis made significant contributions to the school’s academic program and
culture. She led successful efforts to redesign the language arts and
mathematics curriculum, enhanced the partnership between the school and
families and implemented an aggressive professional development program for
teachers.
“We are very grateful for the
contributions Dr. Davis has made to our school and we wish her and her family
well,” Silver said.
Widener Partnership takes a holistic
approach to education that emphasizes a low student to teacher ratio, the
social and emotional development of each student, a close partnership with
parents and caregivers, and the inclusion of music, art, physical and health
education and foreign language instruction as integral parts of the curriculum.
Because it is affiliated with
Widener University, the school receives a variety of supports from the
university including education faculty and students who support and enhance the
instruction of classroom teachers, graduate students from social work and
clinical psychology who provide a range of services to the children and their
families, and the use of university facilities such as the Science Teaching
Center and the Art Gallery.