There will soon be a switch-up of leaders at the Dillingham City School District.
Starting Monday, middle-high school Principal Beth Dillman will begin work as the elementary school’s director of climate and culture. The current director, Megan McCambly, will become the middle-high school’s interim principal.
McCambly grew up in Dillingham, and started working at the elementary school this year. Prior to that, she worked for about 10 years at the Anchorage School District, teaching middle school and, most recently, launching a high school credit recovery program.
McCambly said she looks forward to serving as principal in her home community, and she hopes to provide more stability to a school that has experienced a lot of turnover in recent years. A quarter of the staff was new this fall.
“The high school-middle school over the past several years has experienced a lot of change, and a lot of different leadership, and with different
leadership comes different changes, and that can be exhausting for staff and students,” said McCambly. “I'm really looking forward to offering some stability, some knowledge of Dillingham and of some of our families. I'm really excited to be back.”
Another one of her priorities: Helping students who have fallen behind on credits get back on track. She said that will include close communication with families.
“Developing a schedule that can serve the needs of the required credits from our district and working with kids. We can’t do it without parents,” she said. “We have wonderful parents in our community, so helping to keep them abreast of changes moving forward will also be vitally important to the success of our kids.”
McCambly said the district will reevaluate the principal position this spring.
Dillman also started work at the Dillingham school district this year. She will take over as the elementary school’s climate and culture director. Originally from Kentucky and South Carolina, Dillman first came to Alaska in 1997. She taught in Point Hope and Anaktuvuk Pass, as well as Washington, D.C. She said the new job plays to their strengths.
“I think it’s really just better for the school,” she said. “[McCambly] has a lot of experience in high school and I have been the assistant principal at the elementary school in Nome for the past six years.”
Dillman said she looks forward to diving into the elementary school’s initiatives and working with Principal Nick Tweet.
“Mr. Tweet and I actually went to grad school together and became principals together through that program,” she said. “So I’m looking forward to supporting the wonderful programs that he has going on there and supporting the kids in the best way that I can. They have a lot of really exciting things happening and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Superintendent Amy Brower said in a news release that the district analyzed its needs and the strengths of the staff when deciding to make the switch, and that the district believes this is in the best interests of its students.
Get in touch with the author at izzy@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
