Christopher Shields, the current principal of South Salem Elementary School, has been appointed the new Weber Middle School principal. He will begin his new job at Weber on July 1. “I’m looking forward to starting as principal of Weber Middle School and serving an older population of the school district that encompasses the whole peninsula of Port Washington,” said Shields.
Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Mooney said, “We went through a complete and open search to fill this position, both inside and outside of the Port Washington school district. It was a rigorous process and we took a lot of time to find the right person. Chris was the best person for the job. He met the criteria for Weber for education and for leadership. This appointment is great for everyone.”
Shields has already been consulting with retiring Weber Principal Marilyn Rodahan. “We’ve been communicating about Weber regularly,” said Shields. Rodahan is retiring after 25 years as an educator, 12 years of which were spent in the Port Washington school district. She’s a beloved principal and a hard act to follow. “My goals for Weber include getting to know the staff, the students and parents. I was assistant principal there 11 years ago and a lot has changed,” said Shields. “I will meet with the academic departments and parents and observe. I want to find out what’s important to the students. I’m sure there will be challenges, but I don’t know what they are yet.”
Shields has worked in the Port Washington school district for 14 years. He began as assistant principal at Weber in 2001, a job he held for three years. In 2004, Salem Elementary was reopened and Shields was appointed principal. As the only principal of Salem since its reopening, Shields has a lot to be proud of. “I started from zero at Salem. We began from scratch, purchasing everything from desks to paper,” said Shields. “It was a new beginning for all of us, the families and the teachers. I worked to create a positive culture that everyone could get excited about. There was always a great sense of volunteerism from the families from the beginning.”
Salem was designated a Reward School by the New York State Education Department under Shields’ leadership.
The job search for the new principal to replace Shields at Salem has begun in earnest. “We are going through an exhaustive search both inside and outside the school district,” said Mooney. “We are still in the process and have not chosen a new principal for Salem yet.”
When asked what he will miss about Salem, Shields said, “I’ll miss walking through these halls and getting the cheery hellos and seeing the students looking up to me. I want to make sure I make that same connection at Weber.”
Before coming to the Port Washington school district, Shields taught at the Greenvale School in Glen Head and in the Great Neck public schools. He was also assistant principal at William Floyd Elementary.
Shields is pursuing a doctorate in educational and policy leadership at Hofstra University. He has a Master of Arts in elementary education from Teacher’s College Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in government and law from Lafayette College.
Shields grew up in Port Washington. He attended Weber and graduated from Schreiber. His parents and his brother’s family still live in Port. Shields has two daughters in Port schools, one in eighth grade and one in fifth. His wife is a teacher in the North Shore School District. “I’m not related to the Shields Plumbing family in Port Washington,” said Shields. “A lot of people ask me that.” Shields enjoys sailing and living near the water in Port Washington. “I don’t have a boat, but my parents do, and I enjoy going out on that,” said Shields.
Shields’ long and varied career within the Port Washington school district and outside it will serve him well in his new position as principal of Weber. “I’m looking forward to returning to Weber and working to continue Weber’s tradition of excellence,” he said.
