Ypsilanti schools hire new high school principal
The Ypsilanti school board recently approved hiring Robert Belous as the new principal of Ypsilanti High School .
Now school officials believe he can guide the school through the implementation of its redesign.
Belous began work as principal on June 21 and has previously served as a high school principal, assistant principal and curriculum director. Belous was most recently an educational consultant with APEX Learning.
He said he looks forward to leading YHS from a troubled past into its redesign plan, which will see the school split into the Global Leadership and Public Policy Academy and the Improvisational Academy of the Arts.
“My goal as an administrator is to lead the transformation from where we are in education today to where we envision education in the future,” Belous said in a statement.
“We must lead the entire educational community towards a common vision of social and academic excellence.”
The hiring of Belous puts an end to the search for former principal Jon Brown’s replacement. Brown left the school in June 2010 and his original replacement, Justin Moore, resigned before ever spending a day on the job.
Kwame Stephens served as interim principal during the majority of the 2010-11 school year, but decided against taking the permanent position in May.
YHS is about to undergo a major redesign that district officials hope will take them off the list of the lowest achieving 5 percent of schools in the state, a list of about 200 schools.
The school is one of two Ypsilanti high schools undergoing a redesign for the coming school year, as Willow Run High School is also preparing for its own redesign to be removed from the same list.
The leadership academy will allow students to work on community issues in school while participating in a two-year service project with students from around the globe. The improv academy is expected to have a focus on the performing arts and will allow students to become involved in the local arts community for research projects.
Ypsilanti superintendent Dedrick Martin said Belous is the right man to lead the high school throughout the redesign.
“Mr. Belous has the vision, energy and expertise to lead our high school during this time of transition,” Martin said, in a statement. “This is an exciting era, and we are pleased to have Mr. Belous leading the team that will take Ypsilanti High School in a positive direction.”
Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
15crown00
Sun, Jun 26, 2011 : 7:49 p.m.
Howv many is that in the last 10 years?speaks WELL for the hiring process at YPS.
E. Daniel Ayres
Sat, Jun 25, 2011 : 3 p.m.
Is the board planning on outsourcing the school? Where is the curriculum kids need in Science and Math?
AdmiralMoose
Sat, Jun 25, 2011 : 7:08 p.m.
We parents have been assured that YHS teachers are all there, that the Michigan Merit curriculum is all there, and that the company was brought in as a partner (as required by MI law) to raise test scores. YPSD is not the master of its own fate, but it hasn't been completely taken over. But I'm still having trouble understanding how physics, for example, can be significantly different in the two academies. We're told that it's in the presentation. So, in motion problems, acceleration due to gravity is the same, but maybe they're launching world leaders in one academy and Renaissance painters in the other. I guess. :^)
Moonmaiden
Sat, Jun 25, 2011 : 12:23 p.m.
I know I'm really being picky, but the YPS web site has a picture of the new principal and claims that he was hired at the 6/20 Board meeting. Soooo, AA.COM has basically no biographical data, no picture and the wrong hire date. Other than that, way to keep us caught up on what's happening in the Ypsi schools! Even though it is summer, could someone do a little more in-depth research on this? Thanks!
Moonmaiden
Sat, Jun 25, 2011 : 2:47 p.m.
tdw - good point.
tdw
Sat, Jun 25, 2011 : 2:39 p.m.
oops should be figured IT out yet.I wish we could edit our posts
tdw
Sat, Jun 25, 2011 : 2:12 p.m.
Moonmaiden...If you haven't figured if out yet A2.coms main reporting concern about Ypsi is crime
Moonmaiden
Sat, Jun 25, 2011 : 12:17 p.m.
Wow. Hired on 6/21 and this is all we get? Sterling reporting, AA.COM. Sure hope there is some follow-up on this . . . Does AA.COM still have anyone covering schools other than Ann Arbor?