By Ed Pierce
Rich Meserve considers himself fortunate to work with a team of talented colleagues that help students find their way in school after having struggled in other settings.
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Rich Meserve has led RSU 14's Katahdin Program as its Head of School since 2016 and will be entering his 15th year this fall of working for the school district. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
“In one way, shape or form, I am almost always thinking about the students I work with and how I can best support them,” Meserve said.
His duties as school administrator include supervising and evaluating all professional and support staff, helping to plan, organize and directly implement all school activities, assisting in the development, revision, and evaluation of the curriculum, and establishing and maintaining an effective learning climate in the school. He also prepares the Katahdin program’s budget, monitors expenditures, and coordinates school transportation and logistics.
The upcoming 2025-2026 school year will be Meserve’s 15th year working for RSU 14.
“I first started with RSU 14 in 2004 working as a teacher at the REAL School for a number of years,” Meserve said. “I then served as the assistant principal for REAL School until becoming the Katahdin Head of School in 2016. I served in that capacity for almost three years and then left to take a position as Director of School and Student Supports at the Maine Department of Education. I then returned for a year at Windham Middle School assisting with starting their Altitude Program and I am now back in my role as Head of School at Katahdin.
According to Meserve, the most challenging aspect of his job is breaking down the stigma of what an alternative program is.
“The Katahdin Program has the same graduation requirements as Windham High School, but we are small enough that we can tailor school to be a bit more individualized as well as having the flexibility in our schedule to incorporate experiential learning into the mix,” he said.
He was born in Augusta and graduated from Falmouth High School and has lived all his life in Maine except while attending college and eight years that he spent in the Pioneer Valley region of Massachusetts.
“I moved back to Maine over the summer of 2004 and had three jobs offered to me, from three different districts, on the same day,” Meserve said. “Weighing all three offers, I felt the most comfortable with the position at RSU 14. This initially had to do with the three people at my interview, Pender Makin, Lillie Hanlon and Rod Nadeau, and the way they painted a picture of what working with them would be like. Since that time, I have been incredibly impressed by the leadership of the district from the members of the superintendent’s team to the school board.”
Education is a second career for Meserve.
“I first got involved working with students as a part-time tutor in Massachusetts in my early 30s. Shortly after that I went back to school at UMass Amherst and became an Ed Tech for two years and then a classroom teacher,” he said. “I have been a regular ed as well as a special education teacher/case manager. I have served as Assistant Principal, and Head of School, as well as in a director position at the Department of Education. I have volunteered for a number of education-related boards and committees and have been a member of the Teacher of the Year State Review Team for the last 11 years.”
His most memorable moments in his career with RSU 14 involve connecting with students a few years after they have graduated.
“They are so thankful for the opportunity that the Katahdin Program provided them to not only earn their high school diploma but also the many other skills and experiences they were afforded by being part of the program,” he said.
Meserve says the most important thing he has learned while working for RSU 14 is simple.
“Every human being has potential and supporting all students is paramount to giving everyone the best opportunity to live a happy and successful life,” he said. <