Stephen Chinosi named next Portsmouth High principal. Here's what we know about him.

Ian Lenahan, Portsmouth Herald
·2 min read
Stephen Chinosi, the director of strategic innovation for the Andover, Massachusetts school district, has been named the next principal of Portsmouth High School. Chinosi will replace current high school principal Mary Lyons, who is retiring at the end of June.
Stephen Chinosi, the director of strategic innovation for the Andover, Massachusetts school district, has been named the next principal of Portsmouth High School. Chinosi will replace current high school principal Mary Lyons, who is retiring at the end of June.

PORTSMOUTH — Named a finalist for the position last month, Stephen Chinosi has been tapped by the city school district to become the next principal of Portsmouth High School.

Chinosi, chosen to replace outgoing principal Mary Lyons upon her retirement at the end of June, currently works as director of strategic innovation for the Andover, Massachusetts, school district.

SAU 52 Superintendent Steve Zadravec brought Chinosi's nomination to the Portsmouth School Board Tuesday night.

“We just came away with a lot of resounding positives for Steve’s candidacy,” Zadravec told the board.

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One of two finalists for the role, Chinosi was selected over Portsmouth High School curriculum director and former assistant principal Andrew Korman.

Now seven years into his tenure in Andover, Chinosi previously was the chief innovation officer of the Newton, Massachusetts, school district.

Chinosi received his bachelor’s degree in English from Plymouth State University, following it up with a graduate degree in English from the University of Wyoming. In his career in education, Chinosi held high school teaching roles for 17 years in multiple subjects, including English, science, theater and career and technical education.

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The city School Board unanimously approved Chinosi’s nomination.

“We do look forward to his leadership at Portsmouth High School,” Zadravec said. “I think he had a good frame of thinking around innovation, of how to incrementally improve, and also to acknowledge the many great things that already exist at Portsmouth High School and the strength and potential of the staff there.”

Lyons is leaving the position she first held on an interim basis beginning in the fall of 2014. The longtime educator, who came to Portsmouth as the previous assistant superintendent of Greenland-based SAU 50, was named the official high school principal in the fall of 2015.

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The change at Portsmouth High School is one of numerous administrative departures taking place in the district.

Zadravec is leaving for SAU 50, which oversees K-8 students from Greenland, New Castle, Newington and Rye, and is being replaced by Zachary McLaughlin starting July 1.

The Portsmouth school district has named three finalists in its search for a new program director at Robert J. Lister Academy, as current principal Nancy Roy is also retiring at the end of June. The title of principal is being changed to program director at the alternative high school.

SAU 52 will additionally look to replace assistant superintendent George Shea, who announced he will not be returning to his position next fall after 22 years working in the school system.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth High School principal named as Stephen Chinosi