By JIM OWEN
Daily Press Staff
The Silver School District is looking for two principals and an activities director.
Superintendent Lon Streib announced that Silver High School Principal David Carrillo will become principal of Silver Opportunity High School. Louis Alvarez, who was the high school’s activities director, will be one of the assistant principals at La Plata Middle School.
Streib said the officials had been “reassigned.’ Asked why the changes were made, he said students need improved math, reading, writing and communication skills.
“We want rigor and relevance, and have our students better prepared for life and work,’ he told the Daily Press. The term “academic rigor’ refers to the development of cognitive skills, while “relevance’ has been defined as the ability to apply knowledge and skills to solve problems.
Carrillo has been principal since July 1, 2009. The Santa Clara native and Cobre High School graduate has been employed by the Silver District for 19 years. He was previously a high school English teacher and head of the English department, as well as a coach and athletic director at SHS.
The district also must fill the Cliff High School principal’s position because longtime Principal Chip Ellwanger is retiring.
Streib said committees comprised of parents, students and school staffers will interview applicants and make recommendations. A committee will be established for each open position.
Streib and two associate superintendents will take part in the interviews. Candidates will be asked to answer the same scripted questions, with their responses being evaluated in a scoring rubric that awards points. The applicant with the highest point total will be offered the job.
Streib, who will make the final hiring decisions, explained that the interview process will help prevent bias. He said that no more than four candidates will be interviewed for each job. The district has launched a nationwide search, while also encouraging local people to apply.
The goal is have the positions filled within a month. There is some urgency, because the high school principal needs to be on board to help hire English and math teachers. There also are open science and physical education positions at Cliff.
Jim Owen may be reached at email@example.com.