District hires new administrator for Axtell

Despite the Newton board of education approving a letter of resignation of Lisa Moore at Wednesday morning’s board meeting, the instructional coach is not leaving.

On the contrary — she’s getting a promotion.

Scant seconds after the board accepted her letter of resignation, they approved hiring her as the new administrator at Axtell Education Center.

“This is an appointment we find very exciting,” Superintendent John Morton said. “You always want building administrators that you have to put bricks on their heads instead of light a fire under them. She is definitely a member of the first group.”

Moore had to first resign her position as instructional coach because she could not have two different contracts with the district at the same time.

Moore has already visited other alternative high schools and will start meeting with teaching staff next week.

“I believe every day I am getting closer to being ready,” Moore said. “I will work very, very hard to make sure the students are learning.”

Moore has spent the last three years at Newton High School as an instructional coach. Prior to that, she taught high school English for 12 years at McPherson and two years at Newton.

“There are a lot of things that go into student learning,” Moore said. “The most important piece is a relationship with a student and never letting go of your expectations of what a student can do.”

She is filling a position vacated by LeAnn Beets, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

In other business the board:

• Accepted a gift of $1,000 from Harvey County Farm Bureau on behalf of the Walton Rural Life Center.

• Accepted a gift of electric motors valued at $1,000 from Bunting Magnetics on behalf of Newton High School. The motors will be used by students in the Power and Structure Pathway within the vocational programs.

• Accepted a gift of $1,200 from the Chisholm Middle School PTO on behalf of Chisholm Middle School. The funds will be used for an eighth-grade field trip.

• Accepted letters of resignation from Rita Gritmacker, Title I reading teacher at Northridge; Emily Brockman, fifth-grade teacher at Northridge; Olivia Lehman, art teacher at Slate Creek and St. Mary Catholic School; Richard Dame, ELP at South Breeze; Kathryn Waltner, kindergarten at Northridge; Amy Flaming, first grade job share at Sunset; and Marshall Dilsaver, fourth grade at Slate Creek.