Dr. Chris Record, who served eight years as principal of Gorham High School (GHS) and the past five years as the district’s assistant superintendent, is leaving in July to become superintendent of Cape Elizabeth Schools.
While in Gorham, Record was named Maine Assistant Superintendent of the Year (2020) by the Maine School Superintendents Association and was a two-time finalist for Maine Principal of the Year.
Looking back at his time in Gorham, Record said, “It has been 13 incredible years with wonderful students, dedicated teachers, and supportive parents.”
“It hit me that I came to Gorham when the current seniors were in kindergarten,” said Record. “We are both graduating to go on to something new.”
He leaves behind a record of leadership that facilitated many changes and new initiatives, including the ASPIRE program and collaboration with the Business Roundtable to increase employment opportunities for Gorham graduates.
He sees his role in implementing ALICE, the district’s emergency plan, and Diversity and Equality initiatives as important contributions to the district. Among his administrative responsibilities, programmatic contributions, and many committee assignments, Record chaired the GHS Renovation/Expansion Committee.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Chris RecordAssistant Superintendent Dr. Chris Record, shown here with Superintendent Heather Perry, was named Maine Assistant Superintendent of the Year in 2020. In July, Record will become superintendent of Cape Elizabeth schools.
Record, however, is “most proud of helping to build a positive culture in Gorham Schools and of facilitating more staff collaboration.” And he counted observing first-year teachers, over 100 in the last five years, as one of the most the enjoyable aspects of his job.
Record was quick to say he had learned a lot from working with Superintendent Heather Perry in his most recent position as assistant superintendent. Perry, in addition to praising Record for “helping facilitate many positive changes in various leadership roles and for being my ‘work partner’ for the last five years,” said, “his positive energy, his jokes, his ‘can-do’ attitude, and his knack for asking the right questions at the right time will be truly missed.”
His enthusiasm for education and working with young people started when Record worked as a camp counselor during his undergraduate years at Bates College and continued at a youth alternatives wilderness school in North Carolina. From there, he went on to earn his secondary teaching certification in Massachusetts and an M.A. and Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Southern Maine.
Before coming to Gorham, he taught history and was assistant superintendent at Oxford Comprehensive High School in Paris, Maine. Record lives in Scarborough with his wife and two children and continues to enjoy wilderness activities.
As he leaves the district, Record said he is “proud of how staff and students persevered during a challenging school year and how they are positioned to have five-day in-person school in the fall.” He does regret that Gorham was unable to renovate and expand the high school while he was there. He is hopeful, though, that the district will change start times for high school students, something he has advocated for since he was principal of GHS.
In his May report to the Town Council, School Committee Chair Darryl Wright praised Record for his service as a “tremendous leader in our District.”
Hollis Cobb, the district’s business manager, echoed many of Record’s colleagues when she said, “Working with Chris has been an absolute pleasure. He led and inspired many in Gorham with passion, positivity, and integrity. He is one of a kind and will be greatly missed by our students, staff, and community.”