NORTH SMITHFIELD – After three years serving as the principal of North Smithfield High School, Amy Burns will step down next month to take on a new role on the executive team at the Sargent Center in Warwick.
Burns, a researcher and educator who held leadership positions at various schools across the state before coming to North Smithfield, will work her last day at NSHS on Friday, August 8.
She was hired in the summer of 2022 following the retirement of seven-year Principal Timothy McGee.
Supt. Michael St. Jean noted that he has known Burns for many years having previously worked with her in Central Falls.
“She was the first person I reached out to to notify of a principal posting for NSHS,” said St. Jean. “I knew she would be brilliant. She applied and easily won over the interview committee and got the job on her own merit.”
“Her time at NSHS certainly established her brilliance,” he added.
Burns served as assistant principal at Central Falls High School prior to working for two years as principal of Robert F. Kennedy Elementary School in Providence. In 2021, she was named Johnston Senior High School Assistant Principal before taking on a role as principal at Winsor Hill Elementary School.
She holds a master’s and Ph.D. in education as well as a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, and is on the faculty at the University of Rhode Island. She is also a published researcher, authoring numerous works on education in the state, and teaches doctoral-level courses in statistics.
Burns announced the news in a note to parents on Wednesday, July 16.
“While I look forward to this new chapter, the decision to step away from NSHS has been incredibly difficult,” Burns wrote. “Serving as principal in this community for the past three years has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. I am profoundly grateful for the support and trust families have given me during my tenure. North Smithfield High School is a special place, full of the very best students, faculty, and staff.”
The educator noted that the new job will mark a return to her previous type of work.
“This position will enable me to revisit and apply the research, program evaluation, and analytical skills I developed earlier in my career at the University of Rhode Island and Brown University,” Burns noted. “Like NSHS, The Sargent Center has inclusivity as a core value, and a primary component of my new role will be to collect and analyze data that help support this important mission.”
St. Jean said his initial reaction to the news was disappointment at losing a respected school leader.
“When she told me about a new job opportunity and path she was considering, as a superintendent and colleague, I wanted her to stay,” he said. “But as a longtime friend, I supported her decision both professionally and personally, and as disappointed as we all are to lose her in North Smithfield, I wish her nothing but happiness on her new path.”
“As much as she and all our principals deeply care for their staff, students, and families, educational leadership is increasingly challenging, and Amy had the opportunity to return to her first love of data and research,” St. Jean added.
St. Jean said the opening for the principal role has been posted on SchoolSpring.com.
“We will review applicants, form a diverse interview committee, and begin the selection process,” he said.
Burns said she still plans visit the Greenville Road school for games, concerts and other events.
“I am confident that the school will continue to prosper,” she said.
