Mena Public Schools Undergo Personnel Changes

BY MELANIE BUCK –

As of last week, the Mena School Board and Superintendent Benny Weston had accepted four resignations from personnel and hired or transferred several others in preparations for the 2015-2016 school year.

Chad Frost and Camryn Mitchell turned in their resignations, while Mysti Gates resigned from only her school newspaper advisor position but will continue in her other normal duties, and Hannah Powell resigned from 8^th & 9^th grade cheer, and will also continue her other duties.

Under transfers, Todd Coogan transferred from 7^th grade social studies to AE Director; Perry Curry’s days increased in his custodial duties from 182 days to 250 days; Tisha White transfers from an HHE paraprofessional to HHE classroom; Lynn Ashley moved to 7^th grade social studies; Kristy Hall from Louise Durham to 6^th grade Social Studies; Sarah Bentley moved to 1^st grade; Mandy Maddox moved to Kindergarten; Amy Dollar moved to 2^nd grade; Janie Lynch to 5^th grade Math; Hollie Montgomery to 5^th grade Literacy; Paula Cox to 3^rd grade Literacy; Andy Philpot will be the school newspaper advisor; Mika Hooper will be the 8^th and 9^th grade cheer coach; and Vicky Maye will transfer from Holly Harshman Counselor to the District Dyslexia Interventionist, District Test Coordinator, and District Parental Involvement position.

Weston explained that there was a new law passed this year that requires schools to now have a dyslexia interventionist, which is a district wide position. There will be two more personnel that will work with Maye as interventionists. Diane Richardson will take Maye’s place as HHE Counselor.

The Holly Harshman Elementary Principal torch has been passed from Paulette Sherrer to Tamara Smart. “Paulette is now the Federal Programs and Instructional Specialist for all buildings and the Compliance Administrator, for federal and state, from a building level that will transfer into a district level. She’s going to be in all buildings and she’ll still be able to spread her cheer, “ said Weston. “Tamara is going to do a wonderful job. She was chosen by a committee of her peers and it was an unanimous decision.”

New hires coming into Mena Public Schools will be Rachel McDaniel as 6^th grade Literacy teacher; Christy Harrison, HHE Special Education; Jonathan Bates, Head Baseball and Secondary Science at Mena High; Candice Bates, LD Special Education; Tawana Ricker, Paraprofessional at LD; Rachel Bowling, Paraprofessional at LD Pre-K; Patricia Jackson, Literacy at Mena High; Lisa Standridge, Special Education and Literacy at Mena High; Landon Dover, Assistant Jr. and Sr. Football and Track; Teresa Warner, Math, Mena High; and Randy Peters, Cross Country Coach and Assistant Basketball and Baseball Coach.

“Every year, we go into this time of year, looking at ways to get better, and ways to help our district, and I ask all principals and those that are involved in the hiring process to always look for ways to make us better. As we hire new positions, we look at other ways that we can transfer people and have more opportunities to make us more solid than we already are,” said Weston.

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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