New Logan superintendent: AYP priority

Maintaining the students' achievements in Adequate Yearly Progress is one of the main goals of Logan Municipal School District's new superintendent.

“This school has a great record of meeting the AYP year-after-year,” superintendent Richard Hazen said. “That type of success is possible because of the dedicated faculty and outstanding students.”

Hazen said he knows the difficulty of meeting AYP is only going to increase. He said the state wants the entire student body to be proficient by 2014.

“Meeting this goal is important to our staff,” Hazen said. “We want the student to leave this school prepared to enter college or the work force and be successful.”

Hazen said he generally will not say no when a teacher approaches him for help. He said if it helps the student learn he will find a way to get what is needed.

“We are installing electronic whiteboards in the classrooms,” Hazen said. “These days technology is vital in teaching and keeping the students' interest in learning.”

Teachers will be able to connect a laptop computer to the electronic whiteboards and access current resource materials.

“The boards are touch-friendly and bring a new level of interactive learning to the students," history teacher Shelly Wallin said.

Wallin said the electronic whiteboard was installed in her classroom before the end of the 2009 school year. She said it is easy to operate and the students' response has been "great.”

“I saw an immediate increase in attention from the students,” Wallin said. “Any teacher will agree (that) maintaining a student's attention and interest in the material is key in teaching.”

Wallin said students today are technologically savvy, so applying a tool with a technological appeal in classrooms only makes sense.

“I have not been able to explore all of the functions but the applications of the board could be endless,” Wallin said.

Wallin said the school is planning an in-service session for teachers before school starts to better familiarize them with the boards.

“It is simply amazing,” Wallin said. “I wish we would have had this type of teaching tool years ago.”

Hazen said another key to ensuring the school's success is community involvement. He said the school will always have an open-door policy for the public.

“Come to our school board meetings,” Hazen said. “Give us your input, ask about the budget. Help us teach our kids.”

Richard Hazen

• Roy Schools Superintendent 2001-2009

• Roy Schools Industrial Technology instructor 1980 -2001

• Eastern New Mexico University: Bachelor of Science Industrial Technology, Master of Physical Education 1979 .

• New Mexico Highlands University: Administrative License 1998