en en en it en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en
Powers, principal of Cherokee Middle School, has accepted the top job at Kickapoo. He will start July 1.
Cherokee, with 900 students, is Springfield's largest middle school. The 1,800-student Kickapoo is one of the city's two largest high schools.
"I'm very fortunate to be given this opportunity to be the next principal at Kickapoo," said Powers, 44. "The tradition and excellence that Kickapoo has is just outstanding."
Powers will replace Kelly Allison, who is retiring this summer after 31 years in the district including five as the Kickapoo principal.
MORE:Kickapoo principal retiring after 31 years in Springfield schools
Powers, hired by the district a dozen years ago, has spent nine years as the Cherokee principal. Cherokee is in the Kickapoo attendance feeder pattern and nearly all students end up at Kickapoo.
"I've seen where our students are headed and just admired that school, that community," he said.
Earlier this year, Powers was named the 2018 Jim King Missouri Middle Level School Principal of the Year by the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals.
He is married to Dana Powers, the principal of Carver Middle School. They have one son, Seely, who will be in fourth grade at Harrison Elementary.
Powers has a bachelor's degree from Tennessee Technological University, a master's degree from the University of South Florida and recently completed a doctorate in educational leadership from Southwest Baptist University.
“We are pleased to have Dr. Powers join the high school leadership team as principal of Kickapoo High School,” said Shane Dublin, executive director of secondary education for the district, in a news release.
“Dr. Powers is an experienced leader who values relationships and working as a team in the pursuit of continuous improvement. He is thrilled to join the outstanding staff, students, parents and community at Kickapoo and will work tirelessly to carry on the culture of excellence already in place.”
MORE:This is what happened after Kickapoo mom posted an open letter about her son with autism
With Powers moving to Kickapoo, the district will start searching immediately to find a new principal at Cherokee.
That position will be posted immediately and community feedback regarding the next principal is sought via survey here: https://bit.ly/2sbRgeu.
In February, Mike Dawson, chief learning officer for the district, said Powers empowers his students and teaching staff.
"One of the things I really enjoy about Dr. Powers is that he's a learner. He models a thirst for learning," he said. "He loves kids and in that middle school model, he's a perfect fit. He cares deeply about his students, his teachers."
Dawson said he attended a workshop taught by Powers years ago on how to harness Twitter to promote the good things going on in a school, find best practices and interact with other educators.
Powers has more than 13,000 followers on Twitter.
He spent one year as a teacher at Jarrett Middle School and two years as assistant principal at Study Middle School — which is now an alternative school — before taking the Cherokee job.
About Us Staff Directory Careers Accessibility Support Site Map Legals Our Ethical Principles Terms of Service Privacy Policy Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy PolicyDo Not Sell My Info / Cookie Policy
Contact Us Support Local Businesses Advertise Your Business Advertising Terms and Conditions Buy and Sell Licensing & Reprints Help Center Subscriber Guide My Account Give Feedback