Tag Archives: High School

WPSD hires new MS/HS principal for ’24-25 school year

The district has hired a new principal for the combined middle school / high school (grades 7-12) for next school year (’24-25). They chose Dr. Tory Richey, who is currently principal of The Home School Academy in D20. As its name suggests, that school “supports home school families with weekly enrichment (non-academic) programs.” Its enrollment focuses on lower grades; there are currently 173 7-12th graders enrolled there (599 total students). Exactly what makes him a great choice to lead Woodland Park’s combined MS/HS, with 789 students this year, is unclear. Note that Aaron Salt, the Woodland Park School District’s HR director, is also the president of the board in D20, where Richey currently works.

Here’s the press release:

Dear WPSD Families,

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Tory Richey as the Secondary Campus Principal over Woodland Park Middle and High Schools, effective July 1, 2024. Dr. Richey brings a wealth of experience and dedication to education, and we are confident he will be an excellent addition to our Woodland Park Schools community.

What makes this announcement even more special is that Dr. Richey is an alum of WPHS. Also, you may remember him as he previously served as an assistant principal at WPHS from 2006 to 2009. After his time at WPHS, Dr. Richey continued to expand his career and expertise in education, including serving as the Cripple Creek Junior Senior High School Secondary Principal (2014-2016), Assistant Superintendent/Secondary Principal (2016-2018), and Superintendent/K-12 Principal (2018-2020) before taking his current role as principal at Home School Academy in Colorado Springs.

Dr. Richey is eager to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new members of our staff and families. In his enthusiasm to get to know everyone, he has expressed his intention to start working on these introductions as soon as possible. Although his official start date is July 1, 2024, he wants to ensure a smooth transition and build strong connections within our community.

Returning to Woodland Park holds a special place in Dr. Richey’s heart, as his parents still reside here. He is excited to contribute to the success and growth of our great Woodland Park Middle and High Schools and serve the wonderful community that has always been close to him.

We look forward to a bright future under Dr. Richey’s leadership and invite you to join us in welcoming him back to the Woodland Park School District.

The WPSD exodus begins

We’ve feared what impact this board, and especially interim superintendent Ken Witt, would have on staff in the Woodland Park School District RE-2. Last year, we saw the beginnings of that…and this year, we need to call this what it is: a mass exodus of instructional talent leaving this district.

Having a student in the High School here I’m a bit biased and focused on that school, so forgive me that, but let’s talk about that High School. Normally, staff turnover would be no more than 5%. We’re in mid March, and already, turnover is at 25% (where will we end up by summer?). The overwhelming majority of those leaving mention the board and interim superintendent are creating an untenable circumstance for them to continue. It is possible that seven different AP courses are affected by these resignations…replacement teachers for those are not straightforward and will require extra training ($$ for the AP side of things, and the college MA degrees that would yield concurrent and dual credit for students).

How will the district attract qualified teachers to fill these open positions? How many teachers will want to accept a position in a school district that is, by anyone’s measure, chaotic and unsettled (to put it mildly)? The board states that one of their core beliefs is, “Developing professional educators that engage and inspire students through positive ethical leadership.” They are not developing professional educators…they are driving them out.

This school board and superintendent have massively failed at their most important task, managing the public schools to foster a safe, stable place of learning for our students.