GSA hires two new faculty members for 2026–27 school year
Norm Bergeron joins as music teacher and band director, Erin Cocca as science teacher
April 28, 2026
By staff
BLUE HILL—George Stevens Academy announced two new faculty hires for the 2026–27 school year. According to a press release, Norm Bergeron will join the school as music teacher and band director, and Erin Cocca will join as a science teacher. Both will begin teaching in the fall, the release said.
Norm Bergeron, music teacher and band director
Bergeron has a background in audio recording. Photo courtesy of George Stevens Academy.
Bergeron was a jazz musician in high school in Maine and earned his college music degree at the University of North Texas, the release said. His master’s degree in ethnomusicology “reflects his interest in a wide variety of music and cultures,” according to the release.
Bergeron has taught and led music programs at the college, high school, and elementary levels, most recently at Pemetic Elementary School on Mount Desert Island, the release said. According to the release, his experience in audio recording will allow him to “help GSA continue to develop a Career and Technical Education (CTE) concentration in the media arts.” Bergeron lives in Brooklin.
Erin Cocca, Science Teacher
Cocca is the assistant cross-country and volunteer track coach. Photo courtesy of George Stevens Academy.
Cocca is a graduate of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, where she earned a degree in conservation biology, the release said.
She currently serves as the assistant cross-country coach and volunteer track coach.
According to the release, Cocca has worked as an outdoor educator, a soil conservationist, and a pollinator conservationist, and will bring her “skills and passion for environmental science, scientific research, and youth health and fitness to her teaching at GSA.” She lives in Blue Hill.
The school, which has faced financial challenges for several years due to declining enrollment, had said late last year that it expected to announce staff reductions in February. Those decisions have not yet been made public by the school.
School trustee Lisa Arhontes Marshall said in an April 27 email to The Rising Tide that “we anticipate being able to share a more detailed update at our board meeting in May.”
“Out of enormous respect and privacy for our faculty, staff, and students, we appreciate everyone's patience in these personnel matters. We are deeply grateful for all who are part of the GSA community,” Arhontes-Marshall said.
