AMHERST — Three Springfield educators are finalists to become the next principal at Amherst Regional High School.
With Talib Sadiq stepping down at the end of June from the role he has held on an interim and then permanent basis since fall 2020, those who could be named to the position met with families at a question-and-answer forum on May 28, with additional meetings with school staff and officials also held last week.
The finalists are Zachary T. Verriden, José Carlos Rubio and Marc Gomes, according to a letter sent to families.
Verriden is the head of school at The Academy Hill School in Springfield. He has had leadership roles in school administration, youth programming, curriculum development, and community engagement, and has also served in civic leadership roles, including as a School Committee member.
Rubio is the school administrator of special education for the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership. His experience includes instructional leadership, inclusive practices, curriculum development and multilingual family engagement.
Gomes is the assistant principal at Van Sickle Prep/Academy Middle School in the Springfield public schools. He has done school turnaround work, instructional leadership, and improved student achievement and engagement at various school districts.
Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman said she hopes to announce Sadiq’s successor by mid-June.
Sadiq is an Amherst native who graduated from the high school in 1988 and has spent time as a middle school guidance counselor starting in 2007 and was also dean of students at the high school and assistant principal.
