By Carol Britton Meyer

The former principal of North Quincy High School and current leader of a Massachusetts virtual high school has been hired as the new principal of Hull High School.

robert Shaw, who has been hired as hull high’s new principal, participated in community meetings in Hull last week.

Robert Shaw signed a contract on Monday, June 10 to replace Michael Knybel, who recently announced his resignation prior to the expiration of his contract. Shaw was one of 15 applicants for the position and the only finalist remaining after one candidate was ruled out and another withdrew.

Superintendent of Schools Judith Kuehn, who is retiring at the end of the school year, announced that Shaw had been chosen at this week’s school committee meeting, calling it “extremely exciting news for the future of the Hull Public Schools.”

Kuehn and incoming Superintendent of Schools Michael Jette met with Shaw last week about the position, and Shaw notified them over the weekend of his interest in becoming the next HHS principal. Shaw had participated in community forums last week, in which he met with parents, staff, and community members.

“He is comfortable with our leadership team, and [I‘m pleased to be] leaving [HHS] in good shape,” Kuehn said.

Shaw, who held a number of positions in North Quincy, is currently the high school principal at The Education Cooperative Connections Academy in Walpole, a tuition-free Massachusetts online public school offering a kindergarten through Grade 12 curriculum.

Shaw has a background as an English teacher at North Quincy High School for 10 years at the beginning of his career and later, as NQH’s assistant principal and principal.

Shaw and Jette will meet with staff on June 17.

“I haven’t met [Shaw] yet, but I’ve heard very good things about him,” school committee Chair David Twombly said. “He’s all about the students and having good relationships with the staff.”

Committee member Liliana Hedrick gave a “big shout-out to the search committee” for its role in the process.

Due to the tight timeframe for hiring a new principal so close to the end of the school year, Kuehn and the school committee said they are relieved that her backup plan to move forward with an interim principal if a suitable candidate was not found – and then go through the search process again next year – was not necessary.

Before Shaw accepted the position, he was scheduled to participate in a Hingham Public Schools virtual community forum on Wednesday, June 12, as one of the two finalists in the search for a new Hingham High School. The other finalist, Alan Strauss, was interviewed on Tuesday, June 11, but no hiring decision had been made by the Times’ deadline.

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