Susan Donahue leaves Milford for top job at Rehoboth Elementary

New Rehoboth Elementary School Principal Susan Donahue says she feels like she's come home.

“I've lived in the Cape district for 23 years,” she said. “When the job opened up, it seemed like a good opportunity to bring my experience home.”

Donahue is no stranger to the district. She's been married to Cape High Principal Brian Donahue since 2001, and she already knows many district administrators.

“It's been an easy transition. Having relationships with people has made it easier,” she said, with an easygoing confidence that goes hand-in-hand with experience.

Still, Donahue chalks this year up as a learning one. She was busy meeting teachers and staff before school started and, she said, she looks forward to working with students.

“There's so much growth here,” she said, pointing out the Cape Accelerated Program and Rehoboth Empowers Dreams as examples of two inspiring programs offered to Rehoboth Elementary students.

Donahue comes to Cape from Milford School District, where she was principal of Mispillion Elementary. Before that, she served as principal for Morris Elementary, assistant principal at Lulu Ross Elementary and taught third- and second-graders.

In all, Donahue spent 23 years in the Milford School District, and she thanks the district for all the opportunities given to her there. In smaller school districts such as Milford, she said, teachers and principals have more opportunities to work on education projects or programs – an advantage not available to building-level employees in larger school districts.

Donahue got her first job in 1989 as a second-grade teacher in the Red Clay Consolidated School District – one of the largest school districts in the state.

It was a time when teaching jobs were tough to find, she said. In fact, Donahue earned a bachelor's degree in communication from University of Delaware and went into the family real estate business after graduation. But she soon realized selling homes wasn't for her, even if it was in her blood.

“I worked there, but knew I wanted to be a teacher,” she said.

As she begins her latest education endeavor, Donahue said she looks forward to making Rehoboth Elementary the best school possible.

“A lot of processes are in place, and they're good,” she said. “I don't want to come in and change everything. We need to find what works well.”