Claremont COURIER/Friday, November 21, 2014

15

I am sorry to see her go, but she is leaving

us well-prepared, he said.
Bonnie has done an outstanding job of
Assistant Superintendent of Human Reworking collaboratively with our teachers and
sources Kevin Ward said the district is making
administrators and supporting teaching and
every effort to find a standout replacement.
learning, he said. Shes provided an enorWhat were doing right now is the big
mous amount of professional development for
search, going out, using national publication.
our staff. She also took the lead role in develWere really looking for that next leader, he
oping the Local Control Accountability Plan
said. I think the primary function of the next
and involving stakeholders throughout the
leader of this department is going to be facilitatcommunity.
ing the Common Core implementation, coupled
Mr. Elsasser senses it is no coincidence that
with instructional technology like iPad roll-outs.
CUSD has made huge strides to close educaThere are some big shoes to fill.
tional gaps during Ms. Bells tenure.
On Thursday, Ms. Bell was feted by her peers
One thing that jumps out at me most is that
and attended her last school board meeting. Fritheres an organization called the Education
day is her final day with the district.
Trust West that releases a report card every
Ms. Bell will be moving to a larger district,
year, ranking Californias largest unified school
and one that doesnt have its own high school,
COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
districts on academic and college readiness,
Bonnie Bell will work her last day today as CUSDs assistant superin- so there are some differences between CUSD
he said.
tendent of educational services. Ms. Bell has accepted the postition of and Lowell Joint Union. There are also, howThe nonprofits California District Report
ever, some significant parallels.
superintendent of schools with the Lowell Joint School District.
Cards assess the schools based on how well
The ethnic distribution is fairly similar and
She was so knowledgeable and informed and colthey are serving Latino, African-American and low-init is a high-achieving school district, similar to CUSD,
laborative, Ms. Shoemaker said. The collaborative
come students.
she said.
piece is really important in terms of the LCAP, because
When Bonnie came to the district in 2010, the reMs. Bell will say goodbye to people she has grown
its intended to be representative of the goals of the dis- to love, but says she feels some comfort knowing that
port card for the prior year was released and we were
trict as a reflection of the educational community in
48th out of 149we just squeezed in the top third,
as she leaves, the district is well-prepared to immerse
Claremont. Having very little guidance from the state
Mr. Elsasser said. Fast-forward to 2013 and we tied
itself further into the Common Core and the digital revsheoh, my goshdid such an amazing job on that! olution.
for third place among the 149 districts that received
School Board President Steven Llanusa said he was
grades and rankings. Obviously thats a credit to our
As for her colleagues, their message to Ms. Bell is
happy to provide a glowing recommendation of Ms.
teachers, to our administrators and to our families and
universal: Good luck to a great leader.
Bell to the Lowell Joint School District.
everyone working together. But Dr. Bell brought leadI think shell be a very successful superintendent,
Bonnie Bell was so instrumental in guiding this dis- Mr. Elsasser said. She is very talented, she knows inership in the area of academics that helped us all work
trict through the process of changing from the Califortogether to make that incredible growth possible.
struction, she works well with people and she values
Lisa Shoemaker, assistant superintendent of business nia State Standards to the Common Core, he emphacommunity support and input. Shes a very collaboraservices, has worked closely with Ms. Bell in develop- sized. Bonnie created staff development events and
tive person and shell do very well.
professional development days that were beneficial to
Sarah Torribio
ing a plan for how best to use federal funds as the disteachers by giving them the tools to review and destorribio@claremont-courier.com
trict moves towards full Common Core implementavelop Common Core standards-based lessons.
tion.
BONNIEBELL/from page 5