Kelly Kirk, who is currently the assistant principal and athletic director at South Whidbey High School, was recently hired to be Vashon High School’s next assistant principal.
Kirk will replace current Assistant Principal Stephanie Spencer, who is leaving the high school for an administrative position with the school district.
VHS principal Danny Rock said that the district received 28 applications for the job and five candidates were interviewed.
“We had some really good and young applicants who will be great principals one day,” he said. “This wasn’t an easy decision.”
But ultimately, Rock said, he felt it was important that the district choose someone who would complement him in his leadership style.
“I really thrive looking at the big picture and ideas, setting directions and monitoring long-term progress,” he said. “But I struggle with the little things, the daily details and logistics. So I was looking for someone who was more naturally strong in those areas. And Kelly demonstrated that capacity.”
Kirk, who lives in north Tacoma with his wife and two children, worked as a teacher, coach and athletic director in the Federal Way School District for 22 years. He took the position at South Whidbey two years ago when it looked like his family would relocate. A change in plans, however, led to Kirk splitting his time between Whidbey and Tacoma — and looking for a job closer to home.
“Vashon High School has a similar vibe to South Whidbey,” he said. “It’s the opposite of the environment I spent my earlier career in. The Federal Way high schools had 1,500, 1,800 kids. But I like these smaller schools. I appreciate being able to get to know all of the kids.”
Kirk also believes that he and Rock will work well as a team, echoing the VHS principal’s thoughts on their respective strengths.
“I’m a roll up my sleeves and get it done kind of guy. Danny has a bigger picture background, so I think we will complement each other well,” he said.
Currently, the assistant principal position is part time, split with athletic director responsibilities. However, Kirk’s position will be full time. VHS math teacher and athletics coach Andy Sears will take on the role of part-time athletic director and become a dedicated PE teacher as well.
Vacating the current assistant principal-athletic director job after eight years, Spencer will be the district’s director of teaching and learning, the position currently titled director of instructional services. Her focus will be on staff development, alignment to Common Core and other standards and the district’s support for struggling learners.
While she is excited about supporting all three schools and the teachers, Spencer said that she will miss the personal connection she has had with students.
“I have always worked directly with the kids in some capacity, so I’ll miss that,” she said. “But now hopefully I’ll have a chance to see students grow not just over fours years of high school, but from kindergarten all the way to graduation.”
The position became available as Roxanne Lyons, who currently fills it, takes on a new role focused primarily on science education at the primary level, which is expected to be funded by the Vashon Schools Foundation. Spencer has had experience in that role previously and said she believes taking the new position would give her more time to spend with her son.
