North High School has faced many challenges including low-test scores and low graduation rates. During the last couple of years, several changes were made through a reform plan that was set to raise the schools achievement standards, and although progress has been made, noticeable differences remain to be seen.
Under the Denver Public Schools (DPS) reform plan to make dire changes at North High School, JoAnn Trujillo Hays was hired to serve as the school’s principal, replacing Darlene LeDoux who resigned due to unspecified medical reasons.
But after serving as North High School’s principal for only two years, DPS announced on July 10 that she would return as principal of Academia Ana Marie Sandoval, a school that, along with Padres Unidos and others, she helped to start in 2001.
Edwin Salem will now serve as interim principal at North High School for the upcoming school year. Salem recently served as assistant principal at Lincoln High School and has over 12 years of experience working in education.
Sandoval’s current principal, Debra Lucero Kraft, will now work as principal on special assignment with the district on Montessori initiatives.
“I am excited about the new principals for these two schools,” said DPS Board of Education member Arturo Jimenez. “The North and Sandoval school communities have an opportunity, with these school leaders at the helm, to continue to focus all of their energy around increasing student achievements.”
North High School’s reform plan included requiring school staff to reapply for their current positions under “zero-based staffing” if they chose to remain at the school, the availability of college level courses for high school and/or college credits and the implementation of both the College Board EXCELerator Schools Project and Springboard programs.