Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Search continues for missing veteran in Talent area ... NEA grants $10K to fund local concerts ... Keep public lands in public hands ... Search continues for missing veteran in Talent area ... NEA grants $10K to fund local concerts ... Keep public lands in public hands ... EDUCATION Bare named AHS principal 'Interim' label removed from job title Comment By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@ADTsports DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@ADTsports Posted Jan. 3, 2016 at 4:57 PM By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@ADTsports Posted Jan. 3, 2016 at 4:57 PM » Social News When Erika Bare agreed last May to stand in as Ashland High School’s interim principal for the 2015-16 school year, she had no intention of keeping the position beyond the one-year deal she struck with superintendent Jay Hummel. Then, something unexpected happened. The job grew on Bare. So when a committee tasked with analyzing the high school’s leadership structure concluded about three weeks ago that the position of principal was in fact in the high school’s best interest, Bare decided she would apply. Hummel recommended Bare for the job and during a school board meeting Dec. 16, the board unanimously approved the move and officially removed Bare’s “interim” label. “It doesn’t feel hugely different because of course when you’re in the work, you’re just kind of head down and moving forward,” Bare said. “But a lot of the work that I’m busy with right now are not projects that can be finished before June — they’re two-, three-year projects. So it’s nice to know that as I’m working on things now that I’ll have the ability to see those through to the end. “I think it allows us to feel more settled. It’s nice for everyone to know what’s happening next … so I think everyone feels settled and content knowing that it’s decided and that we can move forward and have a direction. It was nice to go into the holiday break with all of that decided and behind us.” Back in May, after the former assistant principal had agreed to take over on an interim basis for former AHS principal Michelle Zundel, Bare said it was a decision “made in service” and that she didn’t anticipate wanting the job long term. She had her reasons. Most notably, Bare has two preteen daughters and wasn’t sure whether the demands of the new job could fit into her personal life. As time went on, Bare came to realize that she could handle the time commitment and loved the work. Then, when the committee concluded that AHS did need a principal, Bare decided to go for it. “No one is as surprised as I am how much I’ve come to love this job,” she said. “I started to see that it really was a good fit probably towards the end of October and into November. It was a couple months into it when I really started to realize how much I enjoyed the work.” Why? “There are lots of reasons,” she said. “Being in the principal role I’m able to work with a much broader group of students and teachers, and you have a wider reach, so you’re able to support teachers in a way that allows them to work with their students more effectively in a more significant way that I was able to do as an assistant principal.” Hummel spoke glowingly of Bare before recommending that the interim label be removed during the Dec. 16 school board meeting. Later, Director of Education and Human Resources Patty Michiels listed Bare’s credentials and said comments by staff members regarding Bare had four main themes: she’s capable, collaborative, student-centered and “has a solid grounding in instruction, which is what we look for in our administrators.” Bare received her master’s of education from the University of Oregon and also has credentials in special education, math and early elementary education. Before arriving in Ashland in 2012, Bare worked as a teacher on special assignment in the Medford School District. Hummel said he liked Bare’s answers during the interview process. “When asked about the importance of representing the high school in the community and could she be that face of Ashland High School in our community,” Hummel said, “(Bare) quickly replied that teachers should be the face of Ashland High School, not her. “We’re very fortunate to have Erika Bare already in our school district, we’ve been fortunate to have her as the principal at the start of the school year and she’s highly recommended to continue as the high school principal at Ashland.” Joe Zavala is a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach him at 541-821-0829 or [email protected]. By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@ADTsports DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@ADTsports Posted Jan. 3, 2016 at 4:57 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501