GOODING - The Idaho School for the Deaf and the Blind has hired a new principal and a new director of Curriculum and Special Education Services for the 2004-2005 school year.
Janet Stout, a former ISDB teacher, will begin work as the new ISDB principal in July. Stout was most recently the assistant superintendent/principal at the Inland Island School District. Stout has more than 40 years of education experience as a speech therapist, kindergarten teacher and special education teacher, principal, superintendent and professor. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Idaho and a master of arts from Ball State University.
“Jan has outstanding team building skills as well as sign language ability. She is well known to many staff members as an innovator and problem solver who has exactly the right mix of skills that ISDB is looking for to create long-term stability within the campus environment,” said Harv Lyter, acting superintendent for the ISDB campus.
Gretchen Spooner will begin work as the director of curriculum and special education services in July. Spooner currently teaches math at the school and holds a master’s degree in deaf education. “Gretchen has been instrumental in the recent curriculum development projects during this school year, has a daughter who is a recent ISDB graduate and also has excellent signing skills. Gretchen has forged excellent working relationships with the rest of the staff and is a recognized leader and team organizer. We are most pleased to have someone so knowledgeable about ISDB’s structure and philosophy of delivery of educational services to be the first DCS following the formal reorganization of the administration last fall,” Lyter added.
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