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ASHLAND HIGH SCHOOL Departing Ashland High principal Zundel looks to next challenge Comment By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 22, 2015 at 2:09 PM Updated May 22, 2015 at 2:11 PM By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 22, 2015 at 2:09 PM Updated May 22, 2015 at 2:11 PM » Social News When Jay Hummel was asked how the Ashland School District will go about replacing Ashland High School principal Michelle Zundel, his answer summed up the district’s loss: “I don’t think we can,” he said. Zundel, who has worked in the Ashland School District for 20 years, including the last five as the AHS principal, accepted an offer on May 13 to become the chief academic officer of the Medford School District. Her last day as AHS principal will be June 30, and her first day in her new role will be the very next day, July 1 — a Wednesday. The move, which Zundel announced via her Facebook page Friday, will leave a gaping hole in Ashland High School’s administration pyramid, both in terms of leadership and vision. Under Zundel, AHS earned four silver medals in the U.S. News and World Report Best High Schools rankings, was awarded Oregon’s Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Whole Child Award and maintained graduation rates that rank among the state’s best. Her two decades in Ashland also included seven years as the principal at Walker Elementary, three years as the curriculum director, one year as the principal at Bellview Elementary and one year as the principal at both Briscoe Elementary and Walker. “I don’t believe we can (replace Zundel) and we’re not going to try right now,” Hummel said. “Michelle has a unique skill set — she really does. But at the same time, it’s late in the year so we don’t want to rush into a decision that’s so important.” Instead, Hummel said, AHS assistant principal Erika Bare, who has worked under Zundel for the past three years, has agreed to take over as interim principal for the 2015-16 school year. That will give the district time to decide how to proceed. Filling the position, eventually, is only one of the possibilities, Hummel said. But, he added, going forward with an interim principal will give the district “an opportunity to explore the complexities of that position.” When asked to elaborate, Hummel was vague. That exploration, he said, is in its very early stages. “Young leaders and experienced professionals give us great strength,” he said. “And at the same time, Ashland has great educators and leaders, so I think the board has an interest — and so do I, and so does the staff — to explore alternative leadership structures for the high school. This gives us that option. So yes, by next Christmas we may arrive at a decision to tweak the position a little. Or, we may decide that we have time between now and then to see how we can find ways to support our students and our leadership at (the high school) in different ways than just the traditional principal.” How much reshuffling that would require of the current administration Hummel couldn’t say. “That’s the only way I can describe it,” he said. “But having said that, there’s only one reason that there’s a principal in a school — there are too many teachers, so somebody has to serve the teachers, otherwise the teachers could no longer do the organizational pieces. Just like one reason there’s a superintendent is that there are too many schools. So these are service and support positions, and when you break it down and look at what teachers need to support the kids, there are other ways to do that other than the traditional hierarchical structures that we’ve built.” Zundel said she was first made aware of the opening in Medford on May 1 and, after setting up a meeting to talk about the newly-formed position, was interviewed by a group of 10 to 12 administrators on May 13. Zundel said the interview included a wide range of questions and provided her an opportunity to talk about her philosophy and ask her own questions. The Medford School District, and superintendent Dr. Brian Shumate, must have been impressed by what they heard because Zundel was offered the job that afternoon. She accepted immediately. “I had done a lot of research and consideration and talked with my family and looked at the pros and cons prior to agreeing to committing to an interview,” she said. “I think that it’s important professionally to be committed to the process and to be clear, so you don’t waste peoples’ time.” According to MSD’s job posting, the chief academic officer, which had a salary range of $128,000 to $131,555, should be “a visionary, innovative, student centered instructional leader who is well versed in the Oregon state core content for assessment, various instructional pedagogy including differentiated instructional strategies to address the needs of at-risk learners and special populations, data collection and analysis.” The posting also stated that the perfect candidate would have energy, drive and leadership. Specifically, Zundel said, she’ll be working with each of the district’s principals to “improve the academic program and academic performance. “Again, I hope to build on existing excellence and provide professional development in leadership. …In general, any district improvement initiative that’s related to student achievement, I will be helping to lead those efforts.” Zundel said the challenge attracted her, as did Medford’s commitment to excellence. “There’s a real excitement around district improvement and an opening for some real exciting things to happen, and so I am really looking forward to being a part of that process,” she said. “I have, in my career, looked for how I could serve the greatest good and put my skills to work to improve the lives of children and teachers and principals in a community, and that’s been a real guiding value for me. And so I feel very excited about this being a match for Medford and a match for me.” By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 22, 2015 at 2:09 PM Updated May 22, 2015 at 2:11 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... 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