Meyer to be Recommended as Principal for Ankeny's Southview Middle School

Superintendent Matthew Wendt will recommend Dan Meyer to the Ankeny Board of Education to serve as the principal for Southview Middle School beginning with the 2013-14 school year. Meyer was selected from an internal pool of highly qualified applicants.

"I am both excited and humbled to be selected as the principal for Southview Middle School," Meyer said. "To lead the second 8-9 middle school in Ankeny is an honor, and I can’t wait to begin building our faculty and preparing the details."

Meyer has been the assistant principal at since 2006, and was previously an assistant principal at Woodside Middle School in Saydel. He has also served as a director of student services and athletic director for Allison-Bristow Community Schools/North Butler Middle School in Allison from 2002-05. 

“Mr. Meyer’s experience at the 8-9 grade-level set him apart from other highly qualified candidates,” Wendt said. “This is certainly no surprise, as Dan has worked very hard over the past few years to build his experience and position himself to lead a building in this school district.  He will be an excellent fit for Southview and our school district.”

During his time as an assistant principal in Ankeny, Meyer has been responsible for providing instructional leadership in literacy and math curriculums, leading Professional Learning Communities, and assisting in leading various professional development, such as the focus on gradual release of responsibility teaching strategies and standards-based grading. He has worked with staff regarding instructional decisions with student data and the Data Director program, and implementing new content and advisement teams focused on student achievement.

“We will certainly focus on student achievement, but I also want to build a very nurturing environment at Southview so that both students and teachers have positive experiences,” Meyer said. “We’ll also work to make connections with parents to ensure they feel welcome and comfortable throughout the transition and into the future. Our door will always be open.”

Meyer holds a Bachelor’s of Music Education from Wartburg College and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Iowa State University. He has also been active in leading a transition sub-committee for the district to help prepare for two secondary school systems. Meyer also served on the Board of Education’s Policy Committee.

“I am elated that once again we had several outstanding internal candidates, and pending board approval, we will be able to promote from within,” Wendt said. “The district has an outstanding set of school administrators, and when we have a candidate who is both familiar with the system and is ready to lead at a high level, everyone wins.”

Meyer will remain at Northview Middle School during the 2012-13 school year and, in addition to his regular duties, will spend time working with Northview Principal Jill Urich to collaborate toward a smooth transition for the 2013-2014 school year.