Last Updated on July 13, 2021, 9:22 PM | Published: July 13, 2021
OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister assigned the new interim superintendent for the Western Heights Public School District Tuesday.
Monty Guthrie, currently the deputy superintendent of Finance and Federal Programs at the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) will be the interim superintendent of Western Heights during the upcoming intervention year.
Acting quickly, Hofmeister made the appointment the next day after the state Board of Education voted to take control of the troubled district for one year. The intervention will be reviewed every 90 days during the year.
“Visionary leader”
“Monty is a visionary leader with a track record of unifying staff and developing positive relationships within the school community,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister.
“He is a problem solver with a heart for kids, an experienced fiscal manager who values innovative programs that consider all students. The health and safety of the students and staff at Western Heights are top priorities for us, and I’m confident that Monty’s leadership will bring a positive and productive school climate back to the district.”
Guthrie’s job will be to develop and execute a complete intervention plan to correct deficiencies and noncompliance that have been identified by investigations of the OSDE.
He will be a direct liaison with the OSDE as he works with a needs assessment team from OSDE and a State and Community Intervention Performance team, made up of parents, staff, business leaders, and community members.
Guthrie has 26 years of experience in education. He has been overseeing federal programs and involved in keeping local school districts in compliance with federal and other government entities. He was the superintendent of Stigler Public Schools and Pocola Public Schools over a seven-year period before joining the OSDE.
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