When the new school year starts in September, returning students will notice that two administrative changes have gone into effect at Highland Middle School (HMS). Namely, Andrew Carnright, who served as the interim principal of HMS for much of the previous school year, and Sarah Hathaway, who acted as interim assistant principal, were both appointed by the Board of Education to officially fill their respective positions beginning on July 1.
Carnright, who was hired as the assistant principal of HMS in 2021, stepped up to fill the role of interim principal last December. During that time, he helped plan and oversee the relocation of the Middle School to the High School after a fire resulted in the closure of the building early last spring.
“It was a massive undertaking that involved having to recreate student schedules, find alternate spaces for offices and classrooms, and gather supplies and resources necessary for education to continue,” Carnright recalled.
Carnright came to Highland from Orange-Ulster BOCES, where he worked as an Adult Education teacher, a technology and curriculum integration specialist, and director/coordinator of the Adult and Continuing Education Division. He graduated from SUNY Cortland, where he double majored in Political Science and Adolescent Social Studies Education. He also earned a master’s degree in Instructional Technology from the New York Institute of Technology and holds a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership from Long Island University.
Carnright says that his experience in Highland has been rewarding, but also very humbling. “Middle school can sometimes be seen as a place that is ‘challenging’ to work in, and while I admit there are some difficult days, I can honestly say that there is no other age group that I would rather work with,” he said. “I have learned so much about myself and about education through working with the students at Highland, just by simply speaking with them and doing my best to understand and respond to them in kind. I have really enjoyed getting to know the students, their families, and all of the individual stories that comprise our diverse and eclectic student body.”
He continued, “As the new building principal, I am excited to build on many of the amazing things that we are already doing at HMS so we can continue to foster collaboration between the school and the residents of the Highland community.”
Hathaway too is no stranger to Highland, having been hired as a Special Education reading specialist at the Elementary School in 2020. Two years later, she became a building and district administrative intern who—among her other responsibilities—assisted with the launch of the Highland Central School District’s first Universal Pre-Kindergarten program.
In 2023, while Hathaway continued her role as a reading specialist, she also became a chairperson of the District’s Committee on Preschool Special Education before stepping up to serve as interim assistant principal at the Middle School to fill Carnright’s shoes when he became interim principal.
Prior to coming to Highland, Hathaway worked as an educator at several schools in North Carolina, and even founded her own small business, a professional tutoring and consulting company. Before that, she earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Hofstra University and a master’s degree in Teaching Special Education from North Carolina State University. She also holds a Certificate of Advanced Study as a School Building Leader & School District Leader from SUNY New Paltz.
The experienced educator says that she has enjoyed her time at Highland thus far, and is excited to continue to expand on her method of tailoring her administrative approach to meet each student’s unique set of needs.
“I am eager to apply my knowledge and experience to not only address academic needs, but behavioral challenges as well,” she said. “My goal is to utilize an instructional and restorative approach to help foster a school environment where challenges are seen as opportunities for growth and learning.”
