The Sedona-Oak Creek School District is having a mid-school-year employee switch with current West Sedona School Principal Brenda Cady moving to Sedona Red Rock High School. Cady will be replaced by Aaron Coleman, who currently coordinates Red Rock Academy within the high school.
When district staff and students return back to school after winter break on Monday, Jan. 6, Coleman will be the new West Sedona School principal and Cady will work in the SRRHS computer lab as Red Rock Academy coordinator, along with other administrative duties.
Parents of both schools received letters explaining the switch a few weeks ago, and district superintendent Dennis Dearden, who is also the principal of SRRHS, said staff are on board and think the staff change will be a good situation for both schools. Cady will leave at the end of the school year for family reasons.
“There’s no good timing, but knowing [Cady] was going to leave at the end of the year, her thought was ‘if we’re going to [switch], do it during break.’ Then that way it gives them a month to collaborate,” Dearden said.
Dearden added that had there not been the opportunity for the month of collaboration in which Cady has been learning Coleman’s duties at the high school, as well as the two weeks off for winter break in which students could adjust to the change, the switch may not have happened.
As such, Dearden said that in this case, “everybody’s comfortable and we’re moving forward,” and it “should be a good, smooth transition.”
Dearden said parents have not expressed concerns regarding the switch, except that some said they will be sad to see Cady go, while others are excited for Coleman’s arrival.
“Aaron’s a seasoned principal and has a personality that I think people will enjoy [at West Sedona], so I think there won’t be a hiccup. I think he will get in that position and continue to move forward,” Dearden said, adding that “we’re not getting someone unknown.”
In fact, most West Sedona students are already familiar with Coleman since he was often at their school with his dual role as the districts’ special education director. Coleman has also subbed for Cady and other administrators on occasion.
“I’ve been blessed to spend a lot of time over at West Sedona,” Coleman said.
With nearly 20 years in the education field as an elementary school teacher, special education teacher and middle school assistant principal, Coleman originally applied for the position of West Sedona School principal back in spring 2018, excited to move from Tucson to the campus he describes as one of the most beautiful he has seen.
Although Coleman did not get the job at the time, he returned to the school district for his current position in the summer of 2019, after a year as an elementary school principal in Tucson.
Though enthusiastic to return to the Pre-K-6 model at West Sedona, Coleman said he will miss supporting the junior high and high school students with special needs and those “in need of alternative paths to education as well as students attempting credit recovery or retaking courses to improve grades.”
In the long term, Coleman said his goals for West Sedona are increasing enrollment and improving test scores, culminating in a higher school letter grade. [West Sedona and SRRHS both received “C” grades for their AZMerit spring 2019 results].
“As far as now, I want the role to ensure continuity for our students moving forward in the wake of Mrs. Cady’s resignation,” Coleman said.
Students and parents can meet soon-to-be West Sedona School Principal Coleman at the school’s Polar Express Night on Thursday, Dec. 19 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
