Dillingham school district flips a principal and a director of ‘climate and culture’ to smooth out rocky start

14
1797

Changes in administration roles at the Dillingham Middle/High School and Dillingham Elementary School are intended to smooth out bumps experienced in the beginning of the school year. It’s unclear what those bumps are, but they appear to be mismatches of administrators to job titles.

The principal of the middle/high school has become the director of school climate and culture at the elementary school, and the person who was in that position is now the interim principal of the middle/high school.

“As you know, we started this school year with many new staff members, including several new administrators. While the school year did not start as smoothly as we had hoped, the district appreciates the hard work and dedication of all our staff,” Superintendent Amy Brower wrote to parents and the community on Nov. 15.

“In analyzing the district’s needs, staff strengths, and what is best for students, we believe that some adjustments in leadership assignments will best serve the community and our students. The district believes that Ms. McCambly’s prior experience at the middle school/high school level will better serve Dillingham Middle/High School students and staff. The district also believes that Ms. Dillman’s administrative experience at the elementary school level would better fit at Dillingham Elementary School. We are pleased to announce that as of November 21, 2022, Ms. McCambly will be the Interim Principal at the middle/high school, and Ms. Dillman will take over the Director of School Climate and Culture duties at the elementary school.”

Megan McCambly, the recent director of climate and culture, was raised in Dillingham and has been with the Anchorage School District before returning home to Dillingham this year. She is the interim principal of the high school. Beth Dillman is director of climate and culture.

The Dillingham Schools are not exactly known as high performing schools and it’s unclear why an elementary school would need a director of school climate and culture. In other school districts around the country, that is code language for diversity and the director is in charge of setting and driving “a vision for productive and equitable school culture including systems, structures, routines, and traditions,” according to Indeed.com.

Another job board described the job as being “responsible building and maintaining systems that ensure a joyous and achievement-oriented school culture.”

Just 14% of Dillingham elementary school students tested advanced or proficient in English on the latest statewide test, Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR). Just 13.33% of those students tested advanced or proficient in math. 84.91% of the students needed support to get to a proficient level in English, and 86.67% of the students needed more help getting to a proficient level in math.

The elementary school has a teacher-student ratio of 10-1, and about 197 students.

The middle/high school scores are better. Some 19.67% of students are advanced or proficient in English, and 8.80% are advanced or proficient in math. 80.33% of students need support in approaching proficiency in English, and 91.20% need more support to approach proficiency in math. The graduation rate is about 70%

The school district’s mission statement is, “As part of the community, the Dillingham City School District will promote and lead a safe, supportive and equitable learning environment.” The district’s vision is to, “Inspire students to be culturally connected, active community members and motivated to fulfill their goals and dreams.”

14 COMMENTS

  1. So give them a full PFD Check so they can get out of there. Better yet Banish the Climate / Culture Leftists, and let the kids learn to fix boat motors, weld, develop improved Fishing Skills, or how to become a professional hunting or fishing Guide. Or a Gunsmith, or a Real Estate salesperson. The WOKE COMMIE CULTURE needs to be BANISHED Back to the Leftist Universities they came from. Better to Teach kids a TRADE, And how to handle MONEY.

  2. Climate and culture? WTH?

    Were the kids in Dillingham not asking for enough drag shows? Did they not elect a trans kid in a wheelchair attracted to fence posts homecoming whatever?

    Public education is child abuse.

  3. Their students great-great grandparents would want todays generation learn work skills and commitment to a job that keeps them from experiencing homelessness. Right now Just like kipnuk, dillingham students are on the path to permenently living off family and employed friends. The great great grandparents of the 60’s didn’t dream activists turn their grandchildren into emotional basketcases instead of employable adults as far as anchorage where if they could hear we want to hire dillingham kids cause they are reliable, dependable, and hard working.again! Must Read to your kids and tell the kids around you a story.

    • Right now We need labor workers who have integrity-intelligence-energy. Not activists. You know the movie maid in manhattan? The mother had a line during the lead character’s unexpected unemployment and depression.. She said, you want to go back to projects in the bronx? Where those who Dream dreams that never will come true, you want to put food on the table you get a job. The mother of daughter was setting her daughter in reality that unlikely a senator candidate will marry a housekeeper Well. Activists are dreamers, they dream unrealistic dreams.

  4. Sad commentary. The story is a tragedy. The victims are the children. Think if this energy were spent on education, and vocational training?

    • Correction Lawrence. We are all victims of this Marxist nonsense. The children will grow into adults incapable of gainful employment. Many, in subconscious despair, will turn to substance abuse. We will then be required to support them for the remainder of their lives.

  5. I taught out there for 13 years and it was a great school with high achieving students. Looks like it has gone way down hill. Liberalism destroys everything it touches.

  6. A vision for a productive and “equitable” school culture is all that is needed to help students be proficient in math and the English language. So they made an Anchorage School District teacher with little school administration experience (Service High: administrative internship November 2022 SEE ‘https://www.meganmccamblyportfolio.com/resume.html) the interim Middle/High school Principal. Their choice. Stranger things have happened with recent hiring of District Superintendant-in training by the Anchorage School Board. Just business as usual.

    Typically, the requirements for hiring a Middle/High school Principal includes – two years of successful public level administrative experience (Middle & High School) as well as a valid Alaska type B administrative certificate with appropriate endorsements (Middle & High school) in addition to the educational degrees, years of teaching etc.

  7. Sounds to me like they should have hired the candidate Robin Jones as the superintendent instead of this gal. Districts rarely out and out fire somebody, rather hey find a new job for you to do when you’re failing another one.

    • Maybe if school districts didn’t waste money on positions like “Director of School Climate and Culture” they wouldn’t suffer the consequences of wasting precious resources.

  8. “Director of school climate and culture.” Every commenter on here agrees its just the education bureaucracy’s version of white-collar welfare. A placeholder job to give taxpayer funds to a fellow ideologue to do nothing but promote leftist dogma. The bureaucrats believe they have won the culture war; so they are so bold they give the drone a woke title rather than something like “facility manager.” Perhaps they are right. See how much we lament but, in the end, do nothing? What’s in your wallet today?

  9. I worked in DLG for two years. I have nothing good to say about the culture and climate, not only at the school but the major employers across town. The people are unfriendly and very proud / protective of their little community. Never again.

  10. I can show you photos of schools built in southwest Alaska in the 1920’s. BUt you believe your myths. EXPOUND ON THEM ANY LYING WAY YOU WISH.

Comments are closed.