North Tama has announced they have hired Andrew Meister as the new secondary principal/athletic director beginning July 1.

“I’ve always enjoyed small-town Iowa and I’ve gotten to know North Tama over the past few years,” Meister said. “Seeing the passion for their school and community really true me in and I’m excited to work there. I could tell the school was looking for someone with that same passion and would really listen to teachers. I feel I am a good fit for that.”

Meister began his teaching career at the AEA 267 Special School before moving on to the Waterloo West School District after the closing of the former. He has worked as a special education instructor and transition coach, also coaching baseball for the Warhawks.

“I bring a lot of passion for education and open communication,” Meister said. “I want to ensure every student has access to a great education and teachers are able to provide that. I hope to continue the systems North Tama has worked really hard to build that have been working.”

Meister currently lives in Cedar Falls with his wife Megan, North Tama’s Curriculum Director, with their two young daughters Ellie and Addison. The Meisters hope to move into Traer in the near future.

“I look forward to meeting all the great people of Traer and the communities that make up North Tama,” Meister said. “There’s a phenomenal staff that works here and I’m eager to learn more of what’s expected of me.”

According to North Tama Superintendent David Hill, the interview process began with a survey to identify “desired characteristics” for their next principal. A majority of the survey feedback came from parents, teachers and students, as well as other groups including support staff members, school board members, community members, and administrators.

“Using these desired traits as a set of screening criteria, we proceeded to review materials submitted by our 18 applicants, narrowing the field down to seven semi-finalists,” Hill said. “The semi-finalists were invited to participate in a 30-minute screening interview using Google Hangouts. The screening interviews helped us to further measure each of the finalists against the ten pre-established criteria, allowing us to narrow the field down to three finalists who were invited to visit North Tama for an afternoon of formal interviews.”

The finalists were then given a tour of the school and its facilities as an opportunity to meet with North Tama students. Each of the finalists also participated in two formal interviews with two different interview committees which represented a cross-section of the North Tama school community. Interview committee members included students, teachers, coaches, community representatives, current administrators, and school board members.

“Mr. Meister emerged as the very best fit for the position in relation to the pre-established criteria based on feedback from the interview teams,” Hill said. “We are excited to welcome Principal Meister and his family to the North Tama community, and we look forward to working with him in the coming years as we continue to pursue excellence in education at North Tama.”