Lowe to lead Bennington-Rutland schools

Randi Lowe, the special education director for the Bennington Rutland Supervisory Union since 2013, will take over as superintendent on July 1, replacing current BRSU Superintendent Jackie Wilson, who announced that she will retire as of June 30.

As special education director, Lowe dealt with the variety of challenges created by the mergers of the Taconic and Green and Mettawee school districts. In her most recent post as assistant superintendent, Lowe took the primary role in helping the BRSU’s Winhall School District grapple with the complex administrative demands of a full school choice district.

The BRSU board announced its decision on Friday, Jan. 31, following a unanimous vote to offer Lowe the position at a meeting on Thursday. “Randi is simply a great hire for the BRSU and the 12 towns that we serve with our three school districts,” said BRSU Board chair Jim Salsgiver. “She understands our community and is a fierce advocate for public schools and for all our children.”

Raised in New England, Lowe’s first teaching job was as a special education teacher in White River Junction. For the 25 years she has spent in public education, Lowe moved from the classroom to education consulting to administrative responsibilities. During her time at BRSU, Lowe established an excellent reputation as a spokesperson on behalf of the schools. She also helped to explain the nuances and aided in crafting legislation on behalf of special education students in Vermont.

“Special education was what originally attracted me to education,” says Lowe, who lives in Manchester with her three children, twins Spencer and Parker, who attend BBA, and Sydney, who is an eighth grader at MEMS. “I always believed in public schools, but I also realized that we must be able to serve the diverse learning needs of all our students.”

Lowe also expects to benefit from the work of the district school boards in reaching out to the public for feedback on setting education goals.

The Bennington Rutland Supervisory Union is made up of three school districts: Taconic & Green Regional; Mettawee; and Winhall School District. These three districts serve the communities of Weston, Londonderry, Landgrove, Peru, Danby, Dorset, Manchester, Mount Tabor, Pawlet, Rupert, Sunderland and Winhall.