Erik Kelt is coming home.
Raised on Shelter Island, the New Orleans resident — a veteran teacher and principal at the Chateau Estates School — was appointed as the new principal at the Springs School during Tuesday night's school board meeting.
Debra Winter, the Springs School District superintendent, told the board and community members that she had spent a weekend speaking with Mr. Kelt's current supervisor and administration, who raved about him. "The accolades included, 'knows all the children by name,' 'communicates often with weekly and monthly newsletters to parents and staff,' 'good at building community and culture,' 'greets all students rain or shine,' 'makes connections with students,' 'students first!' " Ms. Winter said.
Administrators in New York are required to hold "school leadership" certificates; Mr. Kelt earned his at Harvard University. He also has a master's degree in elementary education and is a doctoral student at Northeastern University.
Ms. Winter explained that Mr. Kelt's current school, a prekindergarten-through-eighth-grade school serving nearly 700 students in New Orleans's Jefferson Parish, is similar in many ways to Springs. He believes in "individualized instructional goals" for students with disabilities and English language learners," Ms. Winter said. He has a reputation for "not only supporting his students but championing his teachers" as well, she said.
Mr. Kelt, who taught third and fifth grade in Brooklyn before moving to Louisiana, joined the Springs meeting by Zoom on Tuesday. He had visited during the interview process. "The one thing that stood out to me by far was the love of the school, the love of the community," he said. "There are so many good things going on for our kids, for our teachers, and I just want to build upon that, grow as a school, grow as an educator, and work side-by-side with teachers and faculty to do great things for the community because they deserve it."
He later continued, "I'm bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience. I'm bringing commitment and that school spirit. I'm from Shelter Island, so I'm local and ready to make Springs School my forever home and give y'all everything I have."
Mr. Kelt will succeed Christine Cleary, who will have spent 17 years with the Springs School when her tenure ends on June 30 and she moves upstate. Her decision to step down was part of an administrative shakeup that rocked the community, as she and Josh Odom, the assistant principal, simultaneously submitted letters of resignation in February. Mr. Odom is to become the next superintendent/principal at the Montauk School.
Mr. Kelt's salary will be $175,000 plus benefits. He is to begin on July 1 and will be "intimately involved" in hiring an assistant principal, Ms. Winter said.