MOJAVE PICKS NEW SUPERINTENDENT.Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer MOJAVE - A superintendent from a three-school, 1,200-student school district in Central California Central California can refer to one of several divisions or regions of the U.S state of California:
Larry Phelps, 50, who now leads the Denair Unified School District in Stanislaus County, will take over Aug. 1 as Mojave superintendent. ``What I want to do is bring things together. I am a believer in teamwork, everybody working for the common thing of making a difference to the kids,'' Phelps said in a telephone interview Wednesday. ``I'm going to spend some time talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to people and getting to know the culture and find out what people's concerns are. I want to make sure there's water in the pool before I dive off the board,'' he said. The board unanimously approved hiring Phelps at Tuesday's board meeting and gave him a three-year contract at $93,000 annually. He was selected from among 16 candidates after school officials spent five hours visiting the Denair district. Phelps will succeed Wallace McCormick, who left June 30 to take a similar post in the Norris School District in Bakersfield. The Mojave district has 2,450 students at seven schools. ``We thought he had the healing ability that the district needs right now, the ability to bring people together and still continue to move forward in getting things done,'' board President Keith Gainey said. ``He was the kind of person who is interested in listening to ideas and doing things that benefit kids.'' The district laid off 16 nonteaching employees earlier this year to avoid dipping into the district's reserve fund. The district faces declining revenues because of its falling enrollment. A proposed high school in California City has been a sensitive issue for the district. California City residents have long desired a high school in their community to spare students a twice-daily bus ride of some 15 miles to Mojave High School. Mojave residents fear that could result in the closing of Mojave High School, since about 65 percent of the 570 students at Mojave High come from California City. Phelps said he grew up in the desert in a town outside Barstow. He received a bachelor's degree in elementary education elementary education or primary education Traditionally, the first stage of formal education, beginning at age 5–7 and ending at age 11–13. from Graceland College in Iowa, and a master's in education administration from California State University, Fullerton California State University, Fullerton, commonly known as CSUF, CSU Fullerton, or Cal State Fullerton, is a part of the California State University system. The University is located in the city of Fullerton, California, in northern Orange County. . Phelps began his teaching career in Michigan, and then taught for seven years in the Laguna Beach Laguna Beach (ləg  `nə), city (1990 pop. 23,170), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific coast; founded 1887, inc. 1927. School District. He subsequently worked for 12 years in the Banning School District as an assistant superintendent Assistant Superintendent, or Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), was a rank used by police forces in the British Empire. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held by a European officer, most of whom joined the police at this rank. , elementary school elementary school: see school. principal, and project director overseeing federal programs and grants. He served as superintendent at Corning School District in Tehama County in Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern for two years before going to Denair, where he has been top administrator for five years. While going to college, Phelps worked at a number of jobs during the summer, including school custodian, stock clerk, dish washer, and a gas crew member with San Diego Gas and Electric. Phelps is married and has three sons, two of whom live in Simi Valley while the third goes to school in Anaheim. ``Our family has kind of migrated down that way. We'll be closer to them,'' Phelps said. |
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