Administration
Dr. Jake Giessman - Principal
Dr. Giessman previously led Academy Hill School (K-8) in Springfield, Mass., the Center for Gifted Education (6-12) in Columbia, Mo., and Portland's Remote Academy (PK-8). He holds degrees from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, the University of Montana, and the University of Missouri. His doctoral research was on equity in school behavior management.
Alyson Dame - Assistant Principal
Alyson Dame is one of Deering's two Assistant principals. She began teaching as an English teacher in Brooklyn, NY where she went on to serve as an Assistant Principal. She was thrilled to have the opportunity to return to her home state of Maine in 2018, when she began working at Deering. She is passionate about leading a school that is committed to valuing, challenging, and empowering every student.
Ms. Halima Noor - Assistant Principal
Halima is an immigrant to this country and followed an interesting path to get here. She is from Somalia but spent her early childhood in Russia – in Moscow. In 2004, she and her family immigrated to the United States. She is a proud Deering High School graduate. She began her teaching career in 2019 at Deering High School, and created and implemented the first AP for ALL students class in the district, teaching AP human geography to all ninth-graders at Deering. She is fluent in Somali and truly believes in the power of setting and holding students to high expectations. Halima believes when the bar is set high and students are given the proper supports and scaffolds then ALL students can achieve.
Halima believes in empowering students to be agents of change in their school and community, advocates of diversity and inclusivity in their classrooms, and community. She also believes in ensuring students are empowered to excel at the highest levels, while also giving them the tools to be empathic individuals, focused on fostering a kind, helpful and supportive school community.