Assistant Principal Allyson Mizoguchi will be taking a leave of absence next year to care for her forthcoming child. School administrators Patrick Tutwiler, Scott Parseghian and Mizoguchi are searching for a replacement to her duties as assistant principal, but no one has yet been chosen for the role.

There are two options available for a replacement: finding someone already in our school system, and finding a replacement from outside. Mizoguchi explained that there are advantages to replacing her with someone from our school system including having “someone already familiar with our policies and culture (not to mention the students and adults on campus).” However, “…this would mean filling his or her opening, which does create a bit of a domino effect.”

According to English Department Head Brian Keaney, Wayland High School has promoted current staff members to the position of Assistant Principal before. When Doug Stather, the Assistant Principal before Ms. Mizoguchi, had to leave for a quarter for heart surgery, “…the then athletic director Mr. Walter Garland was the vice principal during the interim while Mr. Stather was recuperating,” Keaney said.

Duties that the replacement will have to take on include “…student discipline, case management, supporting teachers, communicating with parents, and generally assisting in the day-to-day operations of the high school,” according to Mizoguchi.

Although Mizoguchi will be taking a leave of absence, she said that she still plans to help the high school administration as much as she can from home. “I plan to stay involved in building the master schedule… and possibly helping out with organizing exams and MCAS,” she said.

Principal Tutwiler confirmed Mizoguchi’s statements.

Teachers are permitted up to one year of unpaid child rearing leave with permission from the School Committee according to the Wayland Teachers Association Contract.