Salzman leaves principal's post at Irish Elementary

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

While Lynette Salzman won't be in the principal's office next year, she'll still be a presence at Irish Elementary.

"I have to have my kid fix about once a week," she said with a laugh, so she plans to volunteer at the school after her retirement this spring. Salzman will help with reading groups, work in the media center and support children one-on-one. She also hopes to continue telling her personal "Santa" story around holiday time, a tale about a kind, gray-haired stranger who made a special toy for her children many years ago.

However, Salzman pointed out, "I won't have to get up at 5:30 a.m. to get here." She also won't have the 12-hour days that are common now with her position.

Salzman said she'll miss the Irish children the most. "They make me smile, they give me energy, they just open up my world," she said. "I have great love and joy for this work."

She will also miss the staff. "The relationships that exist among this staff are incredible," Salzman said. "They are totally committed, dedicated and passionate about the kids they serve in this building."

One of Salzman's favorite memories is from Sept. 11, 2002, when the Irish children formed a human flag by dressing in red, white and blue to honor the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks. "We sang songs and talked about what we meant to each other," she said, making it a great day for school unity.

Salzman has also enjoyed times spent with small groups of children, such as birthday pizza lunches she hosts each month. On Dr. Seuss's birthday, she and the staff dress up in Cat in the Hat outfits to share in the fun.

Salzman is proud of Irish, a school that is very diverse in terms of ethnicity, language background and income. For many of her students, English is a second language, and CSAP scores are often below average for the district. "We have to take kids where they are and build them to their greatest potential," Salzman said.

The school has to do a lot of acceleration, she noted, meaning that Irish has to work fast to help children catch up. As a further challenge, at least 50 percent of the student body moves in or out of Irish in a given year.

Nonetheless, Salzman said, "We've made great academic progress with our students." The comparisons made through CSAPs and school report cards are frustrating, she said, "because this school is without a doubt as fine a school as any in the district in the quality of staff and instruction."

Salzman points to the positive relationship with children's families. "Parents see the school as 'their school,'" she noted, and they feel comfortable coming to the school to talk to teachers. Teachers do home visits, providing both a connection to Irish and school supplies for children.

A major change in education, Salzman said, has been the tremendous pressure applied to teachers and principals to have all children performing at grade-level proficiency. That pressure and the punitive sanctions applied to lower-performing schools can "take the joy out of what we do for children," she said. Challenges facing schools, she added, include finding ways to accelerate student learning and recruiting young teachers who are willing to live with the pressure.

In recognition of her work at Irish, Salzman received two awards in 2003. She was named Principal of the Year for Colorado by the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and she received the Collaborative Award from PSD for outstanding service to special needs children.

Salzman, 53, holds degrees from the University of Northern Colorado and Colorado State University. She has been with PSD for 31 years, including 16 as a teacher at Riffenburgh Elementary, six at Linton Elementary and nine years in the principal post at Irish. She and her husband, Mike, have two grown sons, Brent and Aaron, a three-year-old granddaughter and a new puppy.

Salzman plans to keep her fingers in the education pot when she retires. She said she would be open to doing short-term projects for the district or consulting with new teachers and principals.

"There are a lot of good memories here," she said of Irish Elementary. "That's what makes it hard to leave."