Dani Klemes, web editor-in-chief
Michelle Halimi was approved as assistant principal (in effect fall 2014) by the BHUSD Board of Education on Tuesday night, April 22. Currently an English teacher, Service Learning teacher WASC coordinator and alumna, Halimi has been a member of Beverly’s faculty for eight years and is eager to begin her new administrative position.
“I am very excited to be the assistant principal at Beverly. It’s actually something I’ve always wanted to do and I’ve had my administrative credential for a few years so it’s just exciting to start a new chapter,” Halimi said.
Having taught at Beverly since 2006, Halimi has experienced firsthand the troubles and triumphs prevalent in a classroom environment. Halimi claims that her empirical understanding of classroom activity and the student-teacher relationship will guide her in her new position.
“I think [my teaching experience] makes being an administrator a lot easier because I’m able to understand what teachers are dealing with in the classroom, both their successes and their struggles,” Halimi said. “I think that alone is going to be invaluable to my work as an administrator.”
Though Halimi has never been a full time administrator, she has been in positions that have exposed her to the executive aspects of education.
“I’ve never been a sitting administrator,” Halimi said. “I was the WASC coordinator so while overseeing the accreditation for the school, that was two years of administrative work that I was doing in addition to teaching.”
In regards to the changing administration this fall, Halimi views the alteration as “a very different challenge.”
“I plan on maintaining a positive attitude and working as a team with whoever is coming on, so I’m looking forward to meeting new people and starting fresh,” Halimi said.
Halimi’s appointment as assistant principal has also raised the issue of finding teachers to replace her current positions.
“That’s something that Mr. Paysinger and I need to discuss because the appointment was just last night. We haven’t sat down and talked about who would take over the Service Learning or Link Crew or WASC coordinator positions yet,” Halimi said.
Beverly’s staff changes have raised concern, but Halimi plans to focus on helping the school adjust for the 2014 fall semester.
“One of my main goals is to help teachers transition to the Common Core, the new standards, and really to just help maintain a positive learning community for families, staff and students,” she said.
