Q&A with Principal Taylor

• December 5, 2023

By Eva Liss
COPY EDITOR

As AHS settles into the new school year, it also has new leadership: Interim Principal Betty Taylor, who is well-situated and eager to help the school where she can. 

Q: Just a little background on you— where were you before coming to Andover?

A: I just retired this past June at Beverly High School. I’d been principal there for eight years. But I’d actually been there for a long time. I started teaching English and theater there in 1985, I was an assistant principal for about 7 years, and then I was principal, so I’ve been lucky there. It’s where I spent most of my career.

Q: Did Andover seek you out or did you go looking for a job?

A: I spent the whole summer walking my dog and cleaning the house and saying ‘Oh, I have to get a part-time job.’ I was looking in September for one, maybe teaching in college, and then a former superintendent of mine called and said you were looking for an interim principal. It’s full-time, but it’s only a year, so the short burst makes sense. I have to admit I didn’t plan my retirement very well, but I do like the fall, and I like kids, so it’s been nice. 

Q: More on that—how has the experience been so far?

A: I’m still learning some stuff, learning new traditions at Andover that are different from the way I used to do it or Beverly did. What’s impressed me about Andover is there are actually a lot of great academic programs and a variety of extracurriculars. I have to say I’ve been very impressed with the students because the majority I’ve met have been very well organized, well prepared, very good public speakers (which isn’t an easy skill) and very courteous. The teachers have been great to talk to also. I know some routine stuff that makes up every school, so now I’m just trying to get a sense of what makes Andover unique. 

Q: Has anything been difficult to get used to?

A: I hate Outlook because I’m used to Gmail, so I’ve been cursing my computer. The schedule’s very different—in Beverly, we had an every-other-day schedule—so that’s something I’ve had to get used to, but it’s not that hard. I just check my chart all the time. And then I’d like to do a better job with communication both to students and parents. I hope to have that up and running [soon].

Q: Do you have any other goals?

A: In a way, it is to just make sure that the school can keep running. Whatever they need a principal to sign off on, I’m there. I’m also interested in making sure I support anything going forward without blowing things up. It’s really the next principal’s job to decide where the school goes next so it’s my job to make sure everything stays on track for them and it’s all set up. I have a short-term goal—I’d like us to throw a really fun pep rally. I’ll probably have more short-term goals as the year goes on. I’m trying to improve communication with students through all types of formats, like Instagram or Outlook, because I think if there’s something I need to share I want to make sure more people are getting it and engaging with it.

Q: Tell us about yourself. What are some fun facts?

A: Let’s see. I’m left-handed, I have three kids, my dog Ranger, and my cat Auggie. I’m not really a big hobby person, but I like to read and go to the theater.