Hello East Valley,
As leaders, just as we expect teachers and students to do, we grow from learning experiences that might not have had the outcome we anticipated. This is the case with our current vacancies in our district leadership team. Amidst the process for seeking an Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, we did not know we would also be looking at and considering another vacancy. Cari Roderick, congratulations on your position with the West Valley School District. We thank you for your many years of service to our students, staff, and community.
I am grateful to the many thought partners with whom I have been able to talk with during the last week and a half. During this time, I realized it isn't often we are presented with an opportunity to shift course. After careful consideration and deep conversations, we are moving in a different direction than where we were a few weeks ago. Again, I want to reiterate, that the outcome laid out below is not at all a reflection upon any of the candidates we interviewed for the one T & L position. Rather, it is about finding the right pieces and fit for East Valley now and into the future.
In lieu of one Executive Director overseeing the wide gamut of K-12, we will have a Director of Elementary T&L and a Director of Secondary T&L. I am excited and incredibly optimistic about what this will mean for East Valley moving forward. Earlier this week, I met with the staff at both Trentwood and East Valley Middle School to share our forward direction. Dawn Bushyeager will be our Elementary Director and Mat Orndorff will serve as our Secondary Director. Along with being exceptional and thoughtful building leaders, both have been intimately involved in the district's PLC work as well as our Strategic Planning process. This will provide us with a much smoother transition given their respective experiences and familiarity with current district initiatives.
Many stakeholders were a part of numerous conversations for us to arrive at this juncture. It goes without saying these decisions are meaningful to all of us and the East Valley School District as a whole; however, this news has a different impact on both EVMS and Trentwood. We will continue to talk with the school communities of each respective school as we begin to plan for next steps. We will get through the next phases together as we continue to build the system that reflects what our students, staff, and community need.
Thank you for your patience; I look forward to further conversations as we continue to build the future in East Valley... we've got this!
-bt
