Zehr named new principal of WEST Academy

Students of WEST Academy will have a new principal next school year.

Tara Zehr, an instructional coach at Berg Middle School, was named the new WEST Academy principal during the Newton Community School District Board of Education meeting Monday night.

The current principal, Bret Miller, who is also the K-12 curriculum director for the school district, will transition to his new position as director of teaching and learning. Miller said the newer position is more of a name change for his curriculum job rather than a different position altogether.

Upon the school board’s approval of her promotion, Zehr stepped to the podium to thank her fellow middle school staff, teachers, administration leaders and students for the opportunity and for welcoming her into the community. She also thanked her family for “their support and love.”

Zehr added, “I wouldn’t have been able to stand here and accept this without any of those individual groups’ support and encouragement along the way, so I really appreciate it and (I) am excited.”

According to the school’s website, WEST Academy provides an alternative educational environment for students in the Newton school district and surrounding areas. A fully accredited high school, the campus requires students follow a regular daily class schedule separated into trimesters.

Setting high expectations for students who have not found success in a traditional school environment, the teachers of WEST Academy see the importance of supportive relationships and building a sense of community for their learners to flourish.

Effective July 1, Zehr will officially become the new acting principal of WEST Academy. At the same time, Miller will continue his work addressing the learning needs of K-12 students in the school district as the director of teaching and learning.

“I will work with staff around the district to basically improve our teaching strategies and what we do in the classroom working with kids and coordinating to make sure the curriculum we use to teach from, and the materials we use, that there’s a natural progression from kindergarten through 12th grade,” Miller said.

Miller, who had a background in alternative education early in his teaching career, was the WEST Academy principal for two years. Praising the campus’ teachers and environment, Miller said what he liked best about the job is seeing them reconnect with the school.

“They find success in school when they maybe haven’t before,” Miller said Wednesday. “With graduation (on Thursday), one of the best things is you can look and think back to when they first came to WEST Academy and how much they’ve changed, whether it’s been a year or two years or whatever that might be.”

Tackling both the curriculum director and principal roles was difficult, Miller added, and a person for each position is necessary to do both jobs right.

“I just found that I was trying to do my best in both places, and there was just not enough time to be the best principal I can be while also serving the rest of the district in the curriculum role,” Miller said.

The best way to serve all the kids in the district, he reasoned, was to have one person focus on the teaching and learning while, out of fairness to the kids at WEST Academy, making sure there was another person serving as the building principal, just like every other building in the school district.

Miller said WEST Academy offers a different environment from Newton High School, an environment where there is more time for students and teachers to develop more meaningful connections.

“That’s what’s exciting about Tara taking over,” Miller said. “She’s got a track record of doing that in the district, and she’s committed to being here. It’s exciting to know that hopefully we can provide some stability and that personal connection of somebody that’s directly related to the community.”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com