Ogden district shuffles its administrators
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No Comments [ Add Comment ]By Amy K. Stewart
Standard-Examiner staff
O
GDEN -- Ogden School District is lining up new school administrators three months early in preparation for revamped school boundaries this fall.
"In addition to getting a head start on transition planning, employees will have this information when considering at which school they would like to work," said Ogden district Superintendent Noel Zabriskie.
Highland Middle School Principal Sondra Jolovich-Motes will lead Ogden High School this fall as Principal Ed Jenson retires.
"I'm excited to be a Tiger," Jolovich-Motes said.
Tim Peters, assistant principal of Highland Middle School, will replace Jolovich-Motes as the school's principal.
Steve Barker will leave his position as assistant principal at Central Middle School, which is closing this fall. He will be assistant principal at Highland.
Edison Elementary School Principal Suzanne Bolar will head up Wasatch Elementary School. The school's current principal, Dwayne Hansen, is retiring. Edison Elementary is closing at the end of this school year.
Bolar says serving as a principal at Wasatch will continue her goals as an educator: "impact students' lives and provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to be happy and successful in life."
Sandy Coroles will lead Ogden district's new northwest elementary magnet school when it opens in fall 2008. She will continue as principal at Gramercy Elementary School until then.
"I'm ready for a new opportunity," she said.
The Ogden school board unanimously approved the five new administrators during its meeting last week.
Jolovich-Motes said Ogden High has a long and outstanding history of excellence that she intends to continue.
It will be a bit different dealing with older teens, but she said she is looking forward to it.
"They are working toward college and making decisions of what they want to be," Jolovich-Motes said. "They are expressing themselves, and it's a great environment.
"We get to help them grow and experience their dreams and see their futures happen."
Jenson says he sees Jolovich-Motes as an intelligent, committed person who understands high school issues. "She will help move Ogden High forward."
Jolovich-Motes said she doesn't intend to make any drastic changes at the high school, but intends to emphasize the smaller learning communities program.
"They have begun such a wonderful journey. I am just excited to be part of it and continue on that journey," she said.
The smaller learning communities program steers students into an area of emphasis, much like a college major.
It offers more personal attention from teachers as they collaborate on lesson plans and projects.
Barker says students in middle school are at an interesting age.
"We work with the students and their parents in helping these young people grow up to be responsible adults," he said.
The district will move from a K-5/6-8/9-12 grade configuration to a K-6/7-9/10-12 configuration in fall 2008.
"The big challenge is going to be transforming into a junior high," Peters said.
The educators say they are excited to assist the district through its boundary transition as well as new school construction.
The district is going from 15 elementary schools to 13, and from four middle schools to three. Edison, Lewis, Taylor and Mountain View elementary schools and Central Middle School are scheduled to close at the end of this school year.
The district plans to have its aerospace magnet school on Washington Boulevard open by this fall.
Northwest and southeast magnet schools are slated to open by fall 2008.
The main idea of magnet schools is to attract students who are interested in a specific program such as art, science or music.
A third elementary school is set to be built on the north edge of the district campus at 20th Street and Monroe Boulevard. It will include a remodel of the Early Childhood Center, coupled with a new two-story addition. It is planned to be ready for fall 2008.
Last spring, then-Ogden district Superintendent Cathy Ortega recommended having Jolovich-Motes lead Ben Lomond High School, where Ben Smith has been principal, and sending Smith to be principal of Highland .
The proposal was met with much opposition. Ben Lomond students threatened to protest. Parents spoke against the switch during a public meeting, and some threatened to oppose the district's $95.3 million bond request if the change was made.
The Ogden school board voted last June to reject Ortega's recommendation. At that time, the board also voted to direct district officials to review the two principals' positions in a year.
Smith said he has been having regular discussions with Bruce Penland, Ogden district executive director of secondary education.
"We are working hard to continue to make improvements at Ben Lomond," Smith said.
He said he believes Ben Lomond's administrative staff will remain intact, as he has not been told otherwise.
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