The Good Folks of South Mountain/Laveen Villages

This is a series of articles profiling some of the residents who live and work in the South Mountain Village.  In keeping with the original format of the Villager to only print the positive, we will attempt to acknowledge some of the great folks that have contributed so much to our lives and are hopefully role models for all of us.

New Superintendent Inspires Roosevelt Schools to Succeed

Mary Beyda hit the ground running as the Roosevelt School District’s new Interim Superintendent in July.  After only two months in her new position, amazing things are happening.  She formerly served as Roosevelt’s Associate Superintendent of Teaching and Learning.  In that position she was responsible for building a great team, strategically planning how Roosevelt would move forward academically, and practically implementing most of the programs that are now showing great results across the District.

One example of her impact is the $1 million competitive grant for 21rst Century Community Learning Centers, which was recently awarded to Roosevelt.  The grant provides extensive tutoring and academic clubs in reading, writing, math, and science for grades 1 through 3.  It also includes special interest clubs in physical activities, art, music, and dance.  In addition, there is a very strong child – parent – family component.

In another instance, Superintendent Beyda rallied over 1,200 employees at Roosevelt’s Annual Welcome Back Ceremony held in the South Mountain School Auditorium on July 28.  She announced the new AZ Learns labels which are based on the AIMS tests:  Over 95% of the District’s schools earned the label of “performing” and more than 60% were rated in the “performing plus” category.  On average, across all grade levels tested (compared to 2008), for 2009 Roosevelt students scored 9% better in math and 10% better in reading on the AIMS tests.

However, these successful trends are not new for Superintendent Beyda.  She has a solid track record of excellent performance guiding the Alhambra School District as an Assistant Superintendent for 10 years.  Before that she served 10 years as a principal and administrator in the Washington School District.  Beyda’s schools were singled out for national recognition by the First President Bush, and went from the worst in the District to the best after only 2 years.  As a teacher for 10 years, she regularly turned struggling students into lifelong readers.  Superintendent Beyda has also taught graduate level courses to teachers in education content and curriculum development at Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University West.

Mary Beyda has a passion for education.  You might even say it is in her blood.  When she was a child growing up in Arizona, she would play school with her friends and 3 brothers, using the family carport near Grand Avenue to conduct classes.  Her father was a high school and college math instructor, and her mother eventually went back to school and became a teacher, too.  In 8th grade Beyda’s English teacher exposed her to great literature.  ”Reading those books was life changing, and it opened up a whole other world for me,” Superintendent Beyda recalls.  ”I want every one of our students in Roosevelt to have that kind of opportunity,” she notes.

With 3 children and 6 grandchildren, Superintendent Beyda understands that parents expect educators to care as much about the students as they do.  That is why the Roosevelt School District has adopted a new mantra:  Everyone is committed to every student, in every classroom, on every day!  “We should never settle for anything less than giving our very best because education is personal, and every child is important,” says Beyda.

Over the next school year Roosevelt’s Governing Board will be searching for a permanent successor to Superintendent Beyda.  The community will be involved in every step of this process.  Until then, we welcome Beyda’s energy, hard working ethic, enthusiasm for learning, spirit of teamwork, and persistent dedication to student achievement.