“Overwhelming” Support as Darrell Braggs Hired as WHS Principal
Darrell Braggs has signed a three year contract to become the permanent principal of Waltham High School starting on July 1.
“I’m excited and thankful for the opportunity,” he said Tuesday. “Ready to get to work.”
Back in August 2022, Braggs was appointed as the interim principal by superintendent Brian Reagan after the abrupt departure of former principal Brenda Pena.
“He jumped into that role with both feet and thanks to his hard work and commitment to the school, we had a strong start to the year that created momentum that continues today,” Reagan said in a message to WHS school staff in mid-April.
Reagan described the process he led to hire Braggs on a permanent basis.
“Before making this decision, I held a voluntary faculty forum which was attended by close to 50 of you,” he told WHS educators.
“The feedback gathered from this forum was overwhelmingly positive with people describing Darrell as present and visible, a strong communicator, a listener and an instructional leader among other things.”
Reagan also conducted a survey of staff, families and students about Braggs. “Survey data showed an overwhelming level of support for him across all groups,” he said.
Before becoming the interim principal, Braggs worked as a WHS associate principal.
Previously he taught history for ten years at Framingham High School, coached football there and mentored at-risk youth.
Originally from Upstate New York, Darrell Braggs holds two masters degrees and lives in Waltham with his wife and child.
Reagan said the new principal was “excited about this opportunity.”
“There is no doubt in my mind that he is committed to stay in Waltham with the goal of leading the move to the new high school and seeing that building become the vibrant educational and community center that it was designed to be,” Reagan said.
The new WHS is scheduled to open in fall 2024.
Brian Reagan, meanwhile, has accepted a position as the superintendent in Hudson, where he has lived for 25 years with his family and formerly worked as the high school principal. He starts July 1.
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