George “Rick” Dustin-Eichler

Dothan Brook School
Hartford School District
White River Junction, Vermont
dustineichlerg@hartfordschools.net

As principal of Dothan Brook School (DBS) for the past 8 years, school social worker Joyce Dion says that Rick Dustin-Eichler has created a learning and work environment where “children and adults alike feel connected, are inspired to engage [and] be their best selves, and are heard and valued.” This assessment rings true in Dustin-Eichler’s successful implementation of PBIS and MTSS at DBS, pairing a trauma-informed system of services to address the unmet social, emotional, and mental health needs of students with student-centered data teams that meet regularly to problem-solve and support the success of every student. The program has been so impactful that DBS has received the Exemplar School Award from Vermont PBIS for seven consecutive years. Central to this success has been Dustin-Eichler’s ability to shift faculty culture toward “continuous learning, risk-taking, and innovation” by introducing norms that draw out voices across the faculty and emphasize ongoing assessment and revision of best practices. Dustin-Eichler served as vice chair and is currently the board secretary on the board of directors of The Family Place, an organization devoted to providing community-based family support services. He holds a B.A. in Elementary Education and Political Science from Boston College and a Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies from Dartmouth College, as well as a Principal Certificate from the Upper Valley Graduate School of Education and an Early Childhood Leadership Certificate from the Snelling Center for Government.