Following a five-month candidate search process including feedback from parents, teachers, and community members, Newport Public Schools today announced the hiring of Xavier Barrios to be the new Principal of Thompson Middle School.
Mr. Barrios comes to Thompson Middle School as a veteran educator with over 20-years of experience at the elementary, middle, high school, and district administration levels. He most recently served as Instructional Leader for English Language and Exceptional Education Learners for Providence Schools, and previously held instructional and leadership roles in Boston MA, Haddonfield NJ, Camden NJ, Nashville TN, and Chicago IL public schools. Mr. Barrios holds a BA and MA from DePaul University and is fluent in Spanish and Italian.
“We’re excited to announce that Xavier Barrios will be the next Principal of Thompson Middle School,” said Colleen Burns Jermain, Ed.D., Superintendent of Newport Public Schools in a statement. “With two decades of experience in districts of all sizes, and a record of working with diverse stakeholders to accomplish results for students, Mr. Barrios is ready to set a bold path of leadership at Thompson. I want to thank our parents, teachers, and community partners who all provided valuable feedback during the search and candidate vetting process, and I also want to thank Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Behan for stepping up to serve as interim principal.”
“Thompson Middle School and the community of Newport are very special places and I’m honored by the opportunity to serve as Principal,” said Xavier Barrios. “I like to say that I’m a visionary-practical idealist by which I mean have a big vision for excellence while being practical in bringing an entire school community together to achieve bold results together. In the coming weeks I look forward to getting to know Thompson students, parents, faculty, staff, and community partners, and I’m already excited about the 2021-2022 school year to come.”
