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Highland High Principal Moves Up: Educator Will Direct District Curriculum Starting July 1

Posted on: Monday, 8 May 2006, 15:04 CDT

By Jackie Leatherman, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.

May 8--Ken James, principal of Gilbert's Highland High School, dances and lip-syncs to songs during the first faculty meetings of each school year to pump teachers up.

His first performance was to Kool & the Gang's "Celebration" eight years ago.

But this year, he ran out of ideas for motivational songs.

So, it's time for him to move on, he said.

And he will.

On July 1, James moves up to become the executive director of curriculum for the Gilbert Unified School District.

He never had any intentions of becoming a principal or an executive director of curriculum -- all he ever wanted to be when he grew up was a junior high math teacher and a baseball coach.

Instead, he has guided one of the largest high schools in Arizona to state and national recognition for its academic excellence.

Highland was one of 35 schools nationwide to receive the National Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education in 2004 -- a memory that still gives James chills when he thinks about the school assembly in honor of the recognition.

"That assembly was amazing," he said. "It was about them celebrating their own success. All 2,500 students in the gym. They were just cheering. That's the loudest I've ever heard them."

He said he doesn't know how he's going to get through his student-withdrawal.

For eight years, he has eaten lunch in the cafeteria with the students, he has chatted with them in the hallways, he has disciplined, he has praised, he has been to every after-school function that he could attend.

"He eats lunch in the cafeteria, and I think that's classy," 11th-grader Nathan Woolsey said. "He seems like he gets along with kids better than a lot of the teachers that work here."

Jim Bob Worthington, a special needs instructor, said James is "very much relational, getting to know the faculty, getting to know the students and opening himself up that way."

"I think he's really pushed the school as far as what we've accomplished," he said. "He has an open door. You are always welcome to go in and talk to him about something -- students or teachers."

James offered a piece of advice for whoever will be sitting inside the open door of his office at the start of next school year: "It's not about programs or strategies. It's about treating people the right way."

Ken James' achievements

2002: Named National Association of Secondary School Principals/Met Life Principal of the Year for Arizona.

2003-05: Highland labeled an excelling school by the Arizona Department of Education three years in a row -- currently it is one of 30 statewide.

2004: Highland was the first Arizona school to receive the Lamp of Leadership and Learning Award from the Arizona Department of Education that recognizes leadership "at all levels."

Highland was one of 35 high schools nationwide to receive the National Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education for its academic superiority.

2004-06: Serves as president of the Arizona School Administrators Secondary Division.

2005-06: Serves as president of the Arizona Interscholastic Association 5A conference.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Tribune

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