Charlestown High School To Get New Principal

CHARLESTOWN, MA — Newton South High School Principal Joel Stembridge announced he will be taking the helm of Charlestown High School.

Stembridge will replace the school's principal William Thomas, who has led the school for the past 12 years. Thomas is credited with helping bring new direction to the school. Charlestown High is ranked Number 13,345 out of 17,792 in the US and World Report National Rankings. It is listed as 307 out of 345 high schools in the state.

According to a letter Stembridge sent to the school community last week, he is not leaving right away.

"I remain fully dedicated to leading South, albeit virtually, and supporting our students, faculty, and families for the remainder of the school year," he said.

Stembridge earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago, his master’s degree in teaching from the Willamette University in Oregon. He started his career teaching math and drama in Oregon, and then went on to teach math and science at Barnstable Middle School in Hyannis for two years. Stembridge then went to Boston University for administrative training, and had an administrative internship at Brookline High School before working for four years as assistant principal at Scituate High School in Scituate. He then worked as headmaster at the John D. O’Bryant School of Math & Science in Boston for five years before taking the helm of Newton South High School in 2009.

Stembridge and his family live in West Roxbury. He has a son that graduated from Newton South in 2019.

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at [email protected] or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).Have a press release you'd like posted on the Charlestown Patch? Here's how to post a press release, opinion piece.