Six New Administrators Join Waukee Schools for 2011-12 School Year

The Waukee school district is getting six new administrators for the 2011-12 school year.

Meet Waukee High School principal Kirk Johnson, Waukee Middle School prinicpal Amy Johnson, associate superintendent Cindi McDonald, Waukee High School assistant principal Brady Fleming, Community Education director Jeff Longman, and Waukee Middle School principal Adam Shockey. 

While Kirk Johnson is the new high school principal he is not new to Waukee. In 2004, while receiving his master’s degree, he did his practicum under then principal, Bernie Van Roekel.

This is Johnson’s third job as a principal. His first was in Remsen
where he spent three years beginning in 2005. In Vinton-Shellsburg, he was the high school principal from 2008 until the end of last year.

“I knew that one of two things was going to happen in my life,” said Johnson. “I wanted to be a large school principal and/or a
superintendent and to do that I had to leave Remsen and get some other experience.”

Johnson met his wife, Amy, while they were both teaching at Southeast Polk High School. Amy Johnson is the new principal at Waukee Middle School.

Amy Johnson is also a familiar face to Waukee. In 2004, she taught ninth grade science at Prairieview. The school district left quite an impression on her.

“I loved my experience at Prairieview,” she said. “I love the values that the school system stands for and the leadership. It’s forward thinking. It’s all about the kids and was a place that Kirk and I always wanted to come back to.”

Another familiar face is new associate superintendent Cindi McDonald. McDonald has had an extensive and ecclectic career in education. She’s been a substitute teacher, an elementary school teacher, a principal, a director of teaching and learning and a director of elementary education, all in different school districts.

She spent the 2006-2007 school year in Waukee as the director of teaching and learning before leaving for Cedar Falls to become their director of elementary education.

“When the opportunity came up to come back to Waukee, I decided it was time to come back and finish my career here,” McDonald said.

Three fresh faces to the district are Waukee High School assistant principal Brady Fleming, Community Education director Jeff Longman, and Waukee Middle School assistant principal, Adam Shockey.

Fleming comes to Waukee via Johnston where he worked for 10 years, and Des Moines North where he spent last year as their school improvement leader. As it turns out, Waukee is a nice fit for Fleming.

“My family currently lives in the Waukee district and we had been here even when I was at North, so the drive is much nicer,” Fleming said.

Jeff Longman has taken over a relatively new role. According to Longman, the Community Education position was implemented at Waukee in 2009.

“My job is to oversee and administrate all of the community
operations for the Waukee School District,” Longman said. “That involves programs, facilities, child care, volunteer opportunities as well as others.”

Longman comes to Waukee from Southeast Polk where he was also their Community Education director.

Adam Shockey will work alongside Amy Johnson at Waukee Middle School as the new assistant principal. Shockey taught for two years at Waukee Middle School prior to his current role.

“I'm extremely proud of the work we've done," Shockey said. I'm proud of our students, parents, and community for their continued support and dedication to the idea of excellence that Waukee Middle School constantly pursues."

The school year will begin a week earlier than last year on August 17.

“We’ve done a lot of planning,” Kirk said. “Now we just need to get the most important people into the building and that’s our students. That’s what I’m ready for.”