Dec. 3, 2019 -- The Board of Education voted this evening to appoint Mrs. Caitilyn Dewey to the newly created position of director of curriculum and instruction for the school district and Dr. Mark Linton as interim PK-12 principal, effective Wednesday, Dec. 4.
In this new role, Mrs. Dewey will oversee aspects of developing, assessing and modifying school curricula to ensure they align with state and federal standards. This may include analyzing student data, researching trends in instructional methods and educational technology, reviewing and recommending textbooks and other educational materials, observing the work of teaching staff to evaluate performance, organizing professional development and more. Dr. Mark Linton will serve as interim principal for the remainder of the 2019-20 year, with the expectation that the school’s deans, Claire Smith (grades PK-6) and Koby Hahn (grades 7-12), will become elementary and secondary principals by September 2020, after they earn the necessary certifications.
"We’re making these changes in the interest of stimulating improvement across our building, at every grade level," Superintendent of Schools Jesse Harper writes in a letter going home to district families on Wednesday. "I believe these shifts will help us better utilize the strengths and expertise we already have here in Arkport, while keeping pace with the rapidly changing educational landscape and its increased emphasis on school accountability and instructional efficacy."