The Observation Deck

A lot got done at last night's Board of Ed meeting.

The square dance of administrators, teachers and staff moving, or being promoted settled down some. Here are some highlights:

Harding has lost both Principal Keith Ahearn and Asst Principal Joe Takacs to Lakewood High School. Ahearn was already announced as the new principal, Takacs will be an LHS House Principal, replacing Bradley Leyrer, who has accepted a position as principal in another school district. Good luck Mr. Ahearn, and Mr. Takacs, you were wonderful at Harding, we will miss you, it will be good to see you again at the (soon to be finished!) high school.

Harding's new principal is Joseph Niemantsverdriet from Revere City Schools, where he is the middle school principal. Mr. Niemantsverdriet has his students call him Mr. Nemo. In 2012 he was named the Ohio Middle School Principal of the Year by the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators.

Current LHS English teacher Shane Sullivan, will replace Takacs as the new assistant principal.

And in elementary school principal news... we have heard the names but not the buildings they will be assigned to. Here they are: Sandy Kozelka will head Lincoln Elementary, Sabrina Crawford will head Harrison Elementary and Sandra Powers will lead Hayes Elementary. Longtime Harrison Principal Philis Muth will move to Grant Elementary.

Another principal has been added as current Hayes Elementary Principal Bob Curtin will now oversee the Community Recreation & Education Department as well as oversee the transition of students to temporary facilities during the construction of Grant, Lincoln and Roosevelt elementary schools and the eastern end of Lakewood High School as the new Coordinator of Community Recreation and Education/Operations.

The new principal at Horace Mann will be Merritt Waters who comes to Lakewood City Schools from Olmsted Falls City Schools, where she has been the Director of Student Services.

Wow, that's a lot of new principals.

There are a lot more details and a lot more announcements regarding staff changes and new positions created at http://www.lakewoodcityschools.org/dist ... artID=2051.

Betsy Voinovich

I saw Ed Favre yesterday, president of the Lakewood Board of Education and he filled me in on a some details about all of our new or metamorphosed staff members, teachers and administrators.

He was very excited about all of the perfect matches made, and new and improved skills being brought to the District, from the classroom, to the Administration Building.

He described a team that is just getting stronger and stronger under the guidance and care of Superintendent Jeff Patterson and his staff. All in time for the new state-of-the-art buildings and up to the minute technology that is now heading our way, on all levels for all schools.


It was a great conversation. Great days to come.

More details later.

Betsy Voinovich


Students at the the Fall Dance at Grant school do the limbo, under the watchful eye of Principal Roxanne Ramsey who held up the pole just days before having baby number one. Ms. Ramsey is the new Director of Teaching and Learning for Lakewood City Schools and Grant students, who have always been great at doing the limbo, are no longer in limbo, with a brand new school headed their way.