PARMA, Ohio -- The Parma City Schools Board of Education recently named Rachel Urban as the new principal at Normandy High School.
The current Euclid High School assistant principal takes over for interim principal Bill Green, who last year was filling in for Sam Dickerson and recently was named the district's interim chief operating officer.
"Rachel really impressed people in her year as the assistant principal at Euclid High School," said incoming Parma Superintendent Charles Smialek, who worked with Urban in the Euclid City Schools. "She really won the respect of all of the teachers.
"Rachel went through the same committee process that we used to fill the Shiloh Middle School principal opening. It was a very clear consensus. People referred to her as a true breath of fresh air who brings a lot of enthusiasm and presence, as well as has a great background in curriculum and instruction," Smialek said.
Parma City Schools Board of Education President John Schweitzer said that after having four different principals in as many years, the idea is to add stability to the Pleasant Valley Road building.
"Before we went into the interview process, one of the profile points I tried to make with the committee was we want a rising star," Smialek said. "We want somebody who is going to come and really make their next stop kind of the defining phase of their career.
"Rachel really will do that. She lives in North Royalton. This is her first principalship. We really look forward to a prolonged tenure with Rachel at Normandy," he said.
Urban spent nine years in classroom teaching, both middle and high school social studies students, in Euclid City Schools before becoming Euclid High School Dean of Students, followed by Euclid High School assistant principal.
"I'm most excited about joining the Normandy staff because Parma, Parma Heights and Seven Hills are wonderful communities with outstanding students," Urban said. "Normandy offers its students many pathways to college and career success.
"I'm looking forward to building relationships with my staff and students. I'm focused on working collaboratively to raise student achievement and prepare our students for their future endeavors," she said.
As far as Parma once again tapping into Smialek's former school district for a principal -- Euclid City Schools' Andrew Suttell was recently named as the new Shiloh Middle School principal -- Smialek joked that it's been a chilly reception of late from his former peers.
"In all honestly, we've gotten some really talented people from Euclid, but at the same time, these people are taking positive steps in their careers," Smialek said. "It's hard for people to begrudge when you're taking a step up."
New levy on the fall ballot?
In other Parma City Schools news, Schweitzer said the Board of Education will soon have to make a decision about whether to put a new-money levy -- which was defeated in May -- on the fall ballot.
"That has to be discussed pretty soon," Schweitzer said. "If you want to be on the November ballot, that deadline is coming up."
The deadline for the Board of Education to accept a November ballot issue is Aug. 8. Smialek said he isn't sure what's best for the district moving forward.
"We're still using the town hall meetings to gather a pulse of the community," Smialek said. "Those have been very well attended, with better attendance than I anticipated. That's given me a chance to really listen to the concerns and perspectives of our residents.
"We're also going to do some polling coming up in the next couple of weeks for a little bit more of a scientific look at what our population is thinking at this point," he said.
As far as the town hall meetings, the remaining dates include 6:30 p.m. July 10 at the Seven Hills Recreation Center, 9:30 a.m. July 14 at the Parma Branch Library and 6:30 p.m. July 17 at the Parma Heights Branch Library.
"So far, we've held two town halls, with very passionate crowds providing great input and constructive critiques, as well," Smialek said. "We want to hear the positive and the negative."