Sterling Public Schools appoints new director of curriculum

STERLING – Amy Downs, the associate principal at Sterling High School, will become the district’s director of curriculum and instruction effective July 1.

The appointment was approved as part of a lengthy personnel report on Wednesday by the Sterling Public Schools board.

Matt Birdsley is finishing out this school year as director of curriculum, and on an interim basis, director of finance.

Birdsley took on the finance duties after the resignation of Tim Schwingle at the end of March.

In April, the board approved Birdsley’s contract to be the director of finance for 2023-23.

Downs, who once was a principal at Franklin Elementary, moved to the high school in 2019. At that time, Downs and Birdsley had worked on developing a math curriculum for the elementary schools. Most recently, Downs had been working on Pathway Endorsement program so students could earn and graduate with a career designation or trade certificate on their diploma in the areas of education, manufacturing, health science, agriculture and food and natural resources.

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Birdsley had championed the adoption of professional learning communities among the certified staff. The PLCs were part of a larger strategy for teams of teachers to use testing data to identify students requiring academic assistance in core subjects and to follow through with targeted interventions and assistance. At a recent curriculum committee meeting, preliminary data was presented that since enacting PLCs, there was a 3% to 5% increase in students meeting and/or exceeding benchmark expectations.

Other appointments

Four appointments approved for the high school in 2023-24 were Karina Austin as a special education life skills instructor, Lauren Fritz as an English teacher, Dwight Hill as a special education teacher and Jenna Truesdell as a science teacher.

At Challand Middle, Jill Englelbrecht will teach special education and William Guinn will provide certified bilingual instruction. At Lincoln, Ashley Dunlap will teach fifth grade. At Franklin, Hannah Hopkins will be a counselor. At Jefferson, Abbigail Jones will teach kindergarten and Mikaley Smith will teach first grade.

Other personnel matters

Here are the other items in the personnel report approved by the board:

Teacher resignations: Nikole DeVries and Mary Marker at Franklin, Anna Musselman at Washington and Jacqueline Walters at the high school.

Leave of absence: Kaileen Gaumer, high school counselor, for next school year.

Retirement: Lynn Heffelfinger from the career and personal finance position at Challand effective for the 2026-27 school year.

Probationary contract renewal: Quinten Moen, second year English language arts at Challand.

Classified staff and non-certified staff appointments: Heather Geary as a pre-K aide at Franklin, Drew Nettleton as a summer technology assistant for the district, Brecken Peterson as summer help at Sterling Schools Foundation, and Addisen Thayer and Adrienne Wright as special education aides at Lincoln.

Staff resignations: Custodian Cliff Cook, bilingual aide William Guinn, special education aide Kaylee Martin, secretary Eric Meyer-Hanlon, and special education aide Donevon Pankey.

Termination: John Sturts from building and grounds.

Supplemental appointments for Challand in 2023-24: Shelly Atilano as noon monitor and counselor, Cliff Bardell as morning monitor, Erin Bowling as noon monitor and counselor, Michelle Campbell as bus monitor, Asa Church as music VI grades 5-8 orchestra, Chris Engstrom as bus monitor, Laci Halverson as cheer coach, Jase Hippen as noon monitor, Amy Hoffman as noon monitor and counselor, Scott James as noon monitor, boys basketball coach and girls basketball coach, Debbie Katzenburger as noon monitor, morning monitor and detention monitor, Julie LeFevre as noon monitor, Emily Menke as noon minotaur, Nicole Oberg as music I 5-8 band, Melissa Olalde as volleyball coach, Chris Palmer as morning monitor and noon monitor, Ashley Platz as noon monitor, Justin Pratt as boys basketball coach and bus monitor, Joe Ryan as noon monitor, James Shamp as morning monitor and cross country coach, Caleb Skoog as bus monitor and Lauren Sommers as a pompon coach.

Supplemental appointments for high school in 2023-24: Shad Bailey as assistant football coach, Dave Campbell as assistant football coach, Geoff Devine as assistant football coach, Tori Duffin as contest speech, Darci Francis as counselor, Jeff Gale as counselor, Adam Gee as assistant football coach, Stephanie Gibson as head freshman volleyball coach, Mike Gottemoller as chess club assistant coach and assistant girls tennis coach, Weston Henry as assistant musical director, music IV 9-12 choral director, and music VIII 6-8 choral director, Christine Herron as counselor, Ellen Johnson as assistant music director, Isaac Kinnicutt as assistant football coach, Rebecca Koerner as STEP coordinator, Kaylee Martin as assistant volleyball, Matt Payton as assistant football, Joel Penne as chess club head coach, Alexis Ruiz as volleyball coach, Joe Ryan as assistant football coach, Tim schlegel as summer drama, drama head and group interpretation coach, Megan Stanley as FFA adviser and Clara Thorpe as boys and girls assistant cross country coach.

Volunteers: Amber Celletti as assistant cheer coach.