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“We will be implementing a new leadership structure”

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , on April 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Shannon Leatherwood is reshaping the administration in the Coupeville School District.

Or at least that’s the plan as detailed in a letter sent out Tuesday by the first-year superintendent.

In the wake of Middle School/High School Principal Geoff Kappes resigning, Leatherwood announced plans to replace both him and former Assistant Principal Allyson Cundiff with employees who will fill multiple positions.

Her letter:

Dear Coupeville School District Families, Students, and Community Members,

I am writing to share important information regarding leadership changes at our middle and high schools.

Yesterday, Geoff Kappes resigned from his position as middle/high school principal.

We sincerely appreciate his many years of dedicated service and the positive impact he has made on students and our school community during his tenure.

We wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

As we move forward, we are taking this opportunity to carefully evaluate how our administrative structure can best support student success.

Our focus remains on creating the most positive, engaging, and effective learning environment possible for all Coupeville students.

We are excited to announce that we will be implementing a new leadership structure that will provide more focused attention to both our middle and high schools while strengthening key programs:

Middle School Principal/Athletic Director: We will be hiring a dedicated Middle School Principal who will also serve as the Athletic Director for our 6-12 athletic programs.

This position will ensure strong leadership for our middle school students during these critical developmental years while building a cohesive athletic program across all grade levels.

High School Principal/CTE Director: We will be hiring a High School Principal who will also serve as the Career & Technical Education (CTE) Director for grades 6-12.

This position will provide focused leadership for our high school while strengthening career pathways and real-world learning opportunities for all students.

This restructured approach will allow us to provide enhanced leadership in key areas while remaining fiscally responsible.

In fact, these changes have been designed to generate cost savings for the district while improving services to students.

Community input is essential as we select our new school leaders.

This week, we will be distributing surveys to families, students, and community members to gather your perspectives on the qualities and characteristics you believe are most important in our next school leaders.

We will also be forming interview teams that include parent and community representatives to participate in the selection process.

Information about how to express interest in serving on these teams will be coming soon.

Throughout this transition, our commitment to providing an excellent education for every student remains unchanged.

Our dedicated teachers and staff continue to focus on creating engaging learning experiences and supporting student growth.

We are confident that this transition will continue to strengthen our schools and enhance the educational experience for all students.

We appreciate your continued support of Coupeville schools and look forward to partnering with you as we move forward together.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Shannon Leatherwood
Superintendent
Coupeville School District

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The torch has been passed

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , on August 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Willie Smith, having handed over athletic director duties to Brad Sherman, prepares to scamper away.

Old office, new boss.

With the start of a new fall sports season arriving Monday, the change at the top of Coupeville school athletics became official-official.

Wolf grad Brad Sherman, who doubles as the CHS boys’ basketball coach, is now firmly entrenched as the high school/middle school athletic director.

And the former boss, Willie Smith, who is doing one more year as a teacher before fully hitting the road, is free to run wild in the waning days of summer, with nary a single schedule change to contemplate.

The times, they are a ‘changing.

But the focus remains the same.

“I would like to carry forward what Willie and Ron (Bagby) have done over the years,” Sherman said of his former coaches, men who were also his predecessors in the AD chair.

“Their commitment to our kids and the culture they helped build are very important,” he added. “I would like to help lead all of our programs to a very high level.”

Sherman’s grandfather on his mother’s side, Ernie Dire, was a longtime AD for Everett schools, and his service is commemorated in the office where his grandson is now beginning to write his own story.

On the wall of the office Sherman inherited from Smith, there is a display linking athletic letters from Everett and Coupeville schools, a daily reminder for the new man in charge.

As a true man of the prairie, having grown up in Coupeville as part of a farming family, Brad Sherman has been a vital part of Wolf athletics at every level – athlete, coach, and now administrator.

With his own four boys, wife Abbey, and a vast sprawling network of family in place to support him, the new AD was built for this job.

“There is no place I’d rather be than here,” Sherman said, as he deftly juggled scheduling changes, coach and parent interactions, and pesky reporters, before later capping his day with an appearance at the booster club meeting.

“I love the quote – make the big time where you are,” he added.

“It’s not just about wins and losses, it’s about building a strong culture, to benefit these kids in whatever they do in their lives. That’s the goal.”

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