Ankeny's Northview Middle School Principal to Take Over as Head of Curriculum and Instruction

Principal Jill Urich has been selected to succeed Susie Meade as the district head of curriculum and instruction.

The Ankeny school board approved the hiring of Urich at its regular meeting June 18. Urich will replace Meade, to become superintendent at Winterset Schools.

Urich has been Northview's principal since last year. Prior to coming to Ankeny, she was principal of Waukee Middle School and an assistant principal at .

Urich said she is excited to serve the district in this capacity.

"Ankeny has so much to be proud of, largely due to the legacy of an outstanding staff and a supportive community, all of whom collectively focus on the success of every student," Urich said in a release issued by the district. "I look forward to continuing our important work around teaching and learning as we move forward."

During her time at Northview, Urich worked closely with district staff to transition the school into the former high school facility, as well as prepare for the final transition to two 8-9 middle schools in 2013-14.

During her time at Waukee, Urich was responsible for creating professional learning communities to improve professional development and data use. She implemented the Talented and Gifted Endorsement in professional development activities, worked on a plan to move the district toward standards-based grading and was heavily involved in managing the transition process toward the opening of a second middle school, the release said.

She also was a facilitator of 21st Century learning throughout her building and implemented a strong focus on using technology as a tool for learning.

Superintendent Bruce Kimpston said he's confident Urich will be able to continue the progress made by the curriculum and instruction team the past four years.

"One of the reasons Jill was originally selected as the principal of Northview Middle School is that she is clearly focused on 21st century learning," Kimpston said.

Urich holds a bachelor's degree in teaching from the University of Northern Iowa, a master's degree in counseling from Drake University, a specialist degree in education leadership and a Ph.D. in education leadership from Iowa State University.