Potter Elementary Principal Heidi Brooks to retire at the end of the school year

Feb 11, 2020

After 35 years of service to the Dartmouth school system, Potter Elementary School Principal Heidi Brooks announced she will retire at the end of the school year.

Brooks made her retirement plan official at the February 10 School Committee meeting to applause and praise for her dedication to Dartmouth schools.

Brooks’ retirement will close a chapter on her 35 years of education experience, all in Dartmouth. She has held her current post as Potter principal for the past 12 years.

“I’ve been doing this job a long time,” Brooks said.

Her other leadership roles included 10 years as principal of Cushman School, and a year as a co-principal at Quinn when the Cushman and Gidley Schools were closed. She also worked in a variety of roles at Potter, from teacher to assistant principal, at varying times.

“It’s just time,” Brooks said. “My family deserves to have some years with me. It’s all been in Dartmouth, and I’m a Dartmouth graduate myself. My whole life has been run by a school calendar.”

Current Assistant Principal Rick Porter will take over for Brooks when she leaves, while Cushman School Principal Melissa McHenry will make the move to Potter to serve as Assistant Principal.

"Melissa and I worked together as assistant principals at the Quinn for two years," Porter said. "I felt it was a very successful partnership."

Porter noted he and McHenry will have big shoes to fill with the positive leadership Brooks has led at the school, however.

With the staff changeover at Cushman, the district will look to hire a new principal to fill McHenry’s position.