News Release
August 28, 2006
Academia Sandoval Principal, Joann Trujillo Hays, Appointed As New Principal Of North High School
Assistant Superintendent on Special Assignment, Darlene LeDoux, announced today that she is stepping down as Principal of North High School for medical reasons. Superintendent Michael Bennet announced that Academia Sandoval Principal, JoAnn Trujillo Hays, will be North's new principal.
"I am deeply saddened to leave the students, teachers and families at North. Serving as principal requires 150% dedication and recent medical issues make it impossible for me to continue in this role," said LeDoux.
"On behalf of the Denver Public Schools, I want to thank Dr. LeDoux for her three years of service at North. She has made a huge difference at the school, and she has been a mentor for hundreds of students and a friend to many families," said Superintendent Bennet. "We are delighted to have her back in the Administration, where she can continue to contribute to the work of the district."
"I am extremely proud of JoAnn Trujillo Hays' willingness to take on this new challenge. That willingness reflects her optimism for North High School, Northwest Denver, and the Denver Public Schools. It is an optimism that I share. I am proud that one of the District's greatest leaders and most respected principals is taking the reins at North, one of Denver's most important schools," said Superintendent Bennet.
"The District is committed to keeping North High School open. To accomplish that, we must transform it into a high performing comprehensive high school that meets the needs of the students and families of northwest Denver," said Bennet. "For North to fulfill its extraordinary potential, we have to address the feeder pattern in Northwest Denver."
Bennet has asked Trujillo Hays to lead an ongoing conversation with principals and community members in northwest Denver to examine the entire ECE-12 continuum of northwest Denver.
"Secondary school reform begins with early childhood education. The moment our students enter DPS, we have to prepare them for graduation," stated Trujillo Hays.
"We can't expect the teachers and students at North to meet the demands of the District's new graduation requirements until we address the capacity of students entering North in the 9th grade. Our principals across the k-12 continuum need to work together to implement high standards and a rigorous curriculum for all students if we expect high student achievement at the high school level," said Bennet.
JoAnn Trujillo Hays has served as Principal of Academia Sandoval since opening the dual language Montessori in 2001.
INTERIM PRINCIPAL OF ACADEMIA SANDOVAL ANNOUNCED
Debra Lucero Kraft, currently the Dual Language Montessori Coordinator for Academia Sandoval, will become the Interim Principal of Sandoval.
"I have the utmost respect for Debra as an instructional leader. She has the knowledge and commitment to lead Sandoval," stated Trujillo Hays. "Sandoval is in good hands with Debra at the helm," continued Trujillo Hays.
LEDOUX'S TENURE
During Dr. LeDoux's tenure at North High accomplished the following:
- North raised their CSAP scores in 5 out of 6 areas tested on the 2006 Spring CSAP tests. North's 2006 CSAP scores beat the state and district average increase. Dr. LeDoux acknowledges that North still has much progress to make in raising student achievement. However, she expressed her delight regarding the school's upward climb for increased student achievement measures.
- North saw the third highest increase in 2006 ACT scores as compared to similar comprehensive high schools in Denver.
- North implemented numerous pre-collegiate programs and partnerships to prepare all students for college and assist them with having support during their college experience.
- North launched the 2006 Summer Enrichment Academy for entering ninth grade students and the Freshmen Center in which all ninth graders are participating this year. Both interventions address the dropout issue at North High School.
- North offered a mentor program for a majority of ninth grade students.
- North had significantly fewer discipline referrals and incidents.
Dr. LeDoux will return to the District's central administration. She has served as Assistant Superintendent on Special Assignment at North High School since 2003.
Prior to North, Dr. LeDoux was appointed Assistant Superintendent of School Community Partnerships in the Denver Public Schools. Darlene's administrative experience also includes service as Director of Human Resources in the Cherry Creek School District (1994-2002). Dr. LeDoux was principal of Holly Ridge Primary and Holly Hills Elementary Schools in Cherry Creek (1991-1994) and she held three other principal positions in Denver Public Schools at Cheltenham, Barrett, and Del Pueblo Elementary Schools (1986-1991). Dr. LeDoux was assigned to the central office as an instructional consultant (1984-1986) and as a teacher on special assignment (TOSA) (1983-1984) in bilingual and ESL education. She also served as a bilingual resource teacher in DPS (1980-1983). Prior to working in Denver Public Schools, Darlene worked from 1978-1980 as a first grade bilingual teacher in Brighton, Colorado.
BACKGROUND OF JOANN TRUJILLO HAYS
Education:
- M.A. Educational Administration, Curriculum and Supervision/Administrator Certification, University of Colorado, May 1995.
- B.A. Elementary/Early Childhood Education, Wichita State University, December 1984, Cum Laude.
Work Experience:
- JoAnn Trujillo Hays, as the Principal of Academia Ana Marie Sandoval de Lenguaje Dual Montessori, worked with community members to design the highly successful Dual Language Montessori program.
- Prior to taking the Academia Sandoval position, JoAnn served for five years as the Principal of Boulder Valley Public Schools nationally known Escuela Bilingüe Washington, one of the first Dual Language schools in Colorado.
- JoAnn spent five years in Boulder Valley Public Schools at University Hill Elementary School as a member of the two-teacher leadership team. This unique self-governance model (operating without a Principal), one of the truest forms of collective decision making and site-based management, required a high level of collaboration with staff and parents in the administration of the school's overall program.
- JoAnn has also served as Interim Director of Boulder Valley Public Schools Literacy and Language Support Services, Lead Teacher at the Wichita State University Child Development Center, Preschool Director at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, and a Teacher on Special Assignment with the Denver Public Schools Bilingual Department.
Awards and Recognition:
- JoAnn was recognized in the Dec/Jan edition of the 5280 Magazine (Denver's Mile-High Magazine) as one of twenty-two outstanding individuals to watch in 2002.
- She received the Champion of Diversity Award in 2001 from the YWCA of Boulder County. She has also been recognized in Who's Who Worldwide, Leadership and Achievement in Education.
For more information, please contact Sarah Hughes at 720-423-3542.