New principal at Coarsegold Elementary School

— Sierra Star/Earlene Ward

Randy Haggard, the new principal at Coarsegold Elementary School, is welcomed to the home of the Coarsegold Cougars by Coarsegold Union Elementary School District Superintendent Bill McCabe. Mr. Haggard was formerly an assistant principal at Yosemite High School. Mr. McCabe is also Yosemite Joint Union High School District superintendent.

by Earlene Ward - Yosemite High School

COARSEGOLD — When Coarsegold Elementary School opens August 19, the students will be welcomed by their new principal, Randy Haggard.

Mr. Haggard, who was assistant principal at Yosemite High School prior to accepting the new position, says he is excited about the opportunities and challenges.

“It’s a great school,” says the father of two, adding that it has the most comprehensive elective program he has ever seen in a middle school. “It’s the kind of school I want my kids going to.”

He notes that Coarsegold Elementary School has a wide range of programs to meet student needs. There is a comprehensive program for Gifted and Talented Education [GATE], conflict mediation is offered through a contracted provider and there is a full complement of athletic programs.

CES is also home to a county special-education program.

Involved community

Mr. Haggard is enthused about the level of community involvement in the school. He says there is a very active parent-teacher association whose members will prepare a barbecue for Back-to-School Night August 21 at 6:30 p.m. The PTA is responsible for a lot of activities through the year, including movie nights, special events, incentives and student recognition.

The new principal says the school has adopted the theme of “Cougar Pride” for the 2002-03 school year. “There will be a focus on excellence. We want to make this a fun place for kids to learn and achieve. We will be recognizing students for doing the right thing.”

Mr. Haggard says he has many goals for his first year as principal, but his primary goal will be to “have people feel really good about the school and to be excited and proud of it.”

There will also be a major focus on student achievement. This year they will have a special emphasis on literacy. “We will stress reading and writing in every class,” Mr. Haggard says.

Other areas of concentration for the staff will be communication with parents, looking at how people work together at school and creating good memories for the students. Also, Mr. Haggard says, the staff needs to be recognized for all of the great things they do.

“We all need to have pride in the school and what we are doing,” he says.

The district will be introducing a new administrative software package this year to serve students and parents more efficiently.

‘I love schools’

Mr. Haggard has spent his career up to this point at the high school level.

Although he doesn’t think there will be much of a change moving to the elementary school, he says, “I have a lot to learn, but I love schools, so I’m looking forward to it. I like working with the teachers and I like the energy of the students. My children are elementary school age, so I relate to this age of student.”

He believes his years at Yosemite High School will be an advantage to him at CES. “I know what we can do at the elementary level to help prepare students for high school.

There are things we can work on here, such as preparing students for the high-stakes testing they will face in high school. The earlier you intervene with a student who is struggling, the better opportunity they have to be successful later,” he believes.

Mr. Haggard says seventh and eighth grade is not too early to start introducing the idea of college to students.

This has been a busy summer for Mr. Haggard. He had made a commitment to be summer school principal at YHS before he was hired as the CES principal, so he fulfilled both jobs.

Mr. Haggard, who is a reading specialist, says “The most important thing is to read to your child every day.”

Reared in California

Mr. Haggard grew up in San Luis Obispo but graduated from high school in the Reedley area. His father worked for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, so the family moved a lot.

He earned his teaching and administrative credentials from Fresno Pacific University and is currently working on his doctorate in educational leadership through the University of California at Davis and California State University, Fresno.

He spent the first two years of his teaching career in the Upland Unified School District in Southern California and then taught at Central High School for eight years. He taught English and was social studies department chairman.

In 1997 he was hired by YHS as an English teacher. He was promoted to the assistant principal position in 1999. He was also the principal of Mountain View High School, and he was Regional Occupational Program [ROP] coordinator. He was summer school principal for YHS for four years.

Bill McCabe, who is superintendent of both the Yosemite Joint Union High School District and the Coarsegold Union Elementary School District, says it is a wonderful opportunity for CES to have such a dedicated professional as its principal.

“Randy will bring a lot to the school,” Mr. McCabe says. “He is hardworking and dedicated. He is devoted to children and what is best for them. We are all excited about the coming year and we are anticipating great things for the students and staff.”

Mr. Haggard and his wife, Antonetta, live in Yosemite Lakes Park with their two children, Fletcher and Libby.