Administration
Derek Pierce - Principal
Mr. Pierce has been the proud principal of Casco Bay High School since its inception in 2005. He is deeply grateful to work with the remarkable faculty. families, alums and students who have forged one of the planet's great high schools. In 1999, he helped to launch Poland Regional High School where he served as Dean of Faculty and, eventually, Principal.
He has previously taught English, theater and American Studies in schools from Los Angeles to Gorham. At Casco Bay, he leads a crew and has co-taught intensives such as Filmmaking and the Philosophy of Happiness. He has lived in Portland with his family since 1993. His two children are CBHS alums. Mr. Pierce earned a BA from Brown, an Ed. M from Harvard and his principal certification from USM. He remains, some say tragically, a Mets fan.
Priya Natarajan - Assistant Principal
Priya is rejoining the Casco Bay High School staff after two years serving as the district’s high school math instructional coach, working to advance school success plans and support teachers across the district. She joined the Portland Public Schools in 2002, first working at Deering High School before becoming a math teacher at Casco Bay High School. She has also served as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Southern Maine and Eastern Maine Community College. Prior to her work at PPS, Priya was a founding teacher at the Boston Arts Academy in the Boston Public Schools for four years. She won the 2017 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in the mathematics category and has been active in state and local efforts to recruit and retain teachers and is passionate about celebrating the teaching profession and making it a more sustainable, joyous and rewarding career pathway.