This letter was published on the Anzar High School homepage, anzar.schoolloop.com:
This is a joint letter from the District Superintendent, Michele Huntoon, and myself, Charlene McKowen, Anzar High School Principal. We are providing this communication to formally announce leadership changes at Anzar High School in the upcoming year.
From Principal McKowen
Next year will be my last year working as an educator before retiring. It’s a little bittersweet, but mostly pretty exciting for me. I have another year and a bit to leave Anzar in tip-top shape, set for future continued success of this amazing school. It has been a gift for me to be able to be part of the creation and inception of the school from the start. During the coming months, I will elaborate and review some of the highlights of the 24-year Anzar journey. I have loved every second of it and still love coming to work every day- staff and students keep me inspired and amused daily. Because every teacher at Anzar is empowered as a school leader and we have site-based decision- making, no one should fear the future! This is the most capable staff of professionals I have ever worked with, and changes in administration will not affect the quality of instruction and care taken by the teaching staff. Fresh new perspectives from a new leader will be embraced by this staff dedicated to consistent improvement in both practice and achievement.
From Superintendent Huntoon
A new school Principal will be recruited and hired, with a transition into Anzar High School at the beginning of next school year, or close thereto. Anzar families will be kept informed as this process unfolds. The District and Anzar staff all want the best possible candidate. To this end, a survey will be sent out to all staff, students, parents, and community members to provide us with your input on the priorities you have for a new Principal’s characteristics, traits, skills and experience. Input will be taken into consideration. The survey will be available online by Monday, May 7, 2018.
The District will be recruiting an administrator to start at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, who will serve as a co-educational leader at Anzar High School, so that we will have a smooth and seamless transition of leadership. Principal McKowen will continue to serve as Principal until December 31, 2018, and as of January 1, 2019, her focus will ensure continuity of the current programs into the future. The selected administrator will assume the full-time duties as Principal of Anzar High School beginning January 1, 2019.
It is our goal to continue to improve all of our programs at Anzar High School to best serve our students and community. We believe that a smooth transition of leadership will not only assure our community of the continuity of our high school programs, but also concurrently bring new ideas that will continue to advance our students’ education.
As the Superintendent of the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District, I want to thank Principal McKowen for her years of service to the District and congratulate her in her gradual transition into retirement. I thank her for her willingness to work constructively with the District in planning the change in administration that will be occurring.
We appreciate all the support you have given to Anzar High School and look forward to your continued support as we go through this transition.
