MOSIER — On March 29, the Mosier Community School (MCS) hired Michelle Dawkins to their executive director position. School Board Chair Dan Watson and Emily Stranz confirmed the hiring and said the school board is excited for the future.
“There’s a ton of good energy going into this. And one of the things I firmly believe is, if you focus on something long enough, and you put enough positive energy into it, it will happen,” Watson said.
New Mosier Community School Executive Director Michelle Dawkins answers questions from residents on Feb. 28.
Noah Noteboom photo
Dawkins is coming from Corbett School District where she served as the Corbett Grade School principal. Matt Henry was serving in an interim capacity for MCS for the past year, after the previous executive director Janet Carter’s contract expired.
Dawkins was selected as the finalist from three candidates. MCS board worked with Robert Hess, a consultant with BreakThrough Consulting, to find potential candidates. He said the process started with a community survey last November.
On Feb. 28, MCS held a “Meet the Candidate” night at the school, where Dawkins gave a presentation and answered questions from residents. In the presentation she shared her educational beliefs. She thinks multi-age classrooms and place-based learning is important for young students. Dawkins noted that place-based learning is especially important for students because of where they live — the Gorge is geographically diverse and this type of learning creates a connection to their environment and promotes responsibility for the surrounding ecosystems. She also believes it boosts engagement and understanding while nurturing positive interactions.
At the “Meet the Candidate” event she presented her priorities — in no particular order — as listening to students, families and staff, refreshing their outdated strategic plan, designing a destination place of learning and aligning the pre-K through eighth grade curriculum.
School board members and Board Treasurer, Evelia Lachino Ramirez; Board Secretary/Facilities, Marie Mourou; and Board Chair, Daniel Watson.
Noah Noteboom photo
Watson said that one of the big undertakings will be renewing their strategic plan, which was last updated in 2016. He said that because the school was in a “transitional phase,” it didn’t make sense to update the plan.
“And so for us on the board, we want to bring this new leader on and help transition them into this role,” Watson said. “And in the process of doing that, even before school starts, is bringing them to the school and having meetings with the staff, with teachers and the parents and having them get really an understanding of the challenges that they’re going to face or that already exists at our school.”
Following their contract negotiations Dawkins said she is ready for a new start with MCS.
“I am excited and deeply honored to embark on this new journey as the executive director of Mosier Community School. Embracing the K-8 multi-age education model, I am committed to fostering strong relationships and facilitating personalized learning experiences for every student. Nestled in the awe-inspiring Columbia River Gorge, our school’s location offers a unique opportunity for place-based education, igniting curiosity and empowering students to become stewards of their community and environment. I eagerly anticipate collaborating with students, families, and staff to further enhance our school’s foundation and fulfill its boundless potential,” Dawkins said in a statement to Columbia Gorge News.
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