Lothrop grabs new position

    ASHLAND, Maine – After five years as a teacher and administrator at his alma mater, Ashland athletic administrator Ben Lothrop, is stepping down from his post to accept a job as assistant principal at Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln. He says that the decision has been bittersweet.
     “It will be tough to leave the people here,” Lothrop said, “but it’s a great opportunity for my professional career.”
According to Lothrop, the assistant principal’s position had remained open for a while when he made the decision to apply in December. He interviewed for the job in late January and was contacted one week later with an offer.
“My goal has been to become a full-time administrator and the opportunity presented itself,” Lothrop said. “I thought I had a great interview and I was contacted by the superintendent and he said that the committee had unanimously selected me. I took some time to talk it over with my family and it didn’t take long. I called and took the job.”
Lothrop will teach his final class in social studies at Ashland Community High School Friday and will see the girls’ varsity basketball team through the tournament over vacation week, but begins his new responsibilities Monday, Feb. 26.
As assistant principal, Lothrop’s primary duties deal with discipline issues, but in talking with principal Henry Pietras, Lothrop knows he’ll also get a chance to help out with other administrative aspects.
“He (Pietras) views this as a shared duty position,” Lothrop said, “and he’s said he’s going to involve me in everything from budgets to staff supervision, so this is another great opportunity. My goals for the near future are to be a principal somewhere.”
Before taking the AD position at Ashland, Lothrop coached the girls’ basketball team for nine years including a run at the Eastern Maine championships in 2005 and the boys’ baseball team for four years. Though the position with Mattanawcook Academy will take him completely out of the sports realm for a while, he says the opportunity to be around athletic events will still be prevalent.
“Right now the job is assistant principal, but that position is involved with athletic events and being at games and they’re starting a soccer program this fall which will be new to them, and I’ve told [AD Rich Sinclair] that I’d be available to help out with that,” Lothrop said. “I can definitely see me becoming more involved in athletics a few years down the road.”
The position also brings Lothrop closer to Orono where he is in the process of finishing up a masters degree in education leadership at the University of Maine.
Ashland administrators anticipate hiring an interim athletic administrator and a long-term substitute teacher to fill Lothrop’s spot before beginning the full-time search this spring. According to principal Robert Hennessey, Lothrop leaves a big hole to fill.
“He’s always willing to fill in where he’s needed and has been filling in at principal as needed this year. He was called upon to deal with some difficult situations and did a great job,” Hennessey said. “It’s going to be tough to see him go, but we’re all happy for him and think it’s a great professional opportunity. Mattanawcook is very lucky to have him.”
Mattanawcook Academy is a Class B school with 450 students in grades 9-12.