Brown

North Tama’s administrative staff will feature at least one new face next school year following recent board approval to hire current Cedar Falls fourth grade teacher Jordan Brown for the newly created position of PK-12 Assistant Principal.

In the wake of Elementary Principal Susan Johnson’s resignation in February – effective at the end of this school year – the North Tama Board of Education made the decision to eliminate the position entirely and hire an assistant principal for its PK-12 campus.

While the school board initially considered moving Secondary Principal Taylor Howard down to the elementary position due to his “extensive experience as a teacher and leader at the elementary level,” Superintendent David Hill told the Telegraph, they ultimately decided against the idea.

“Driven in part by the board’s desire to not lose Mr. Howard’s leadership at the secondary level, the concept of appointing Mr. Howard as the PK-12 Lead Principal with the support of a full-time PK-12 Assistant Principal was born,” Hill explained in an email to the Telegraph. “It is the consensus of the board members that this restructuring will help to streamline district operations and help North Tama more effectively capitalize on one of our greatest strengths – the fact that we are a PK-12 system, all on one campus.”

The new PK-12 Assistant Principal, Mr. Jordan ‘Jordy’ Brown, 29, is currently teaching fourth grade at Hansen Elementary in Cedar Falls.

After graduating from George Washington Senior High School in Cedar Rapids in 2011, Brown went on to earn his B.A. in Elementary and Middle Level Education from the University of Northern Iowa. He also holds a Master’s degree in Teacher Leadership for International Educators/Principalship from UNI.

While at UNI, Brown was on the dean’s list for eight semesters and was the commencement speaker at his graduation ceremony in the fall of 2015, Hill said.

Prior to teaching in Cedar Falls, Brown was a fourth grade teacher at the American School of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. He also taught sixth and seventh grade science, social studies, and health at Dawes Middle School in Lincoln, Nebraska.

“[Mr. Brown] has been a leader in numerous ways at Hansen Elementary, where he has served on the Students Support Team to address student concerns and behaviors and has helped to enhance the sense of community and pride in his school by co-hosting a schoolwide podcast,” Supt. Hill said.

“He has also mentored numerous University of Northern Iowa students at all levels of their practicum experience. Mr. Brown recently earned the PK-12 Principal/PK-12 Special Education Supervisor endorsement as well as an evaluator license through the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.”

Hill told the Telegraph 10 teachers, two board members, and two administrators were involved in the interview process for the assistant principal position.

Brown’s appointment was approved as part of the consent agenda during the March 20 school board meeting along with Taylor Howard’s appointment to PK-12 Lead Principal.

Also as part of the consent agenda, Amy Harmsen was hired as the junior high softball coach, Olivia Schrier as early childhood special education teacher, and Molly Ramirez as an upper elementary teacher.