BY RACHEL MELCER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SHARONVILLE -- After a two-year, nationwide search for a new Princeton High School principal, district officials found exactly what they wanted right in their own back yard.
The Princeton City School District Board of Education voted Tuesday to rehire Ray Bauer, 52, a Mason resident who was principal of that school from 1986 to 1990. He is finishing out the current school year as principal of Schaefer Middle School in Springfield.
The board also voted to hire Shelley Jefferson Hamler, 46, as the district's new assistant superintendent for administration. A resident of Avondale, Ms. Hamler will leave her position as director of the Career Paths vocational program with Cincinnati Public Schools.
Each administrator is expected to sign a two-year contract. Mr. Bauer left the Princeton district to become superintendent of Blanchester local schools. But it didn't take long for him to realize that he preferred being a principal to leading an entire school system.
"I found that I greatly enjoyed the experience of working as a building administrator, working directly with students and staff," Mr. Bauer said.
While he was away, Princeton officials conducted a nationwide search for a new principal but did not net any candidates that met their standards, said David Baker, assistant superintendent for personnel.
So the district tapped Hank Miller, who came out of retirement to serve a two-year term as interim principal.
"He did a really nice job. But it's . . . difficult for an interim principal to make any long-term plans," Mr. Baker said. "Dr. Bauer's going to be coming into a situation where the staff and the students and the parents are anxious to establish a vision . . . and make some changes for the future."
That's exactly what Mr. Bauer said he hopes to do. Although he is familiar with the Princeton district of the past, he will be working with a new team of administrators in a changed atmosphere.
"I need to see where we are, what it is we really believe in (as a district). Where do we want to go?" he said. "I take a position of discovering, what is the end result we want to achieve? And then, collaboratively, how are we going to get there?"
Ms. Hamler will be helping to make those decisions. As the new assistant superintendent for administration, she will work with Superintendent Dennis Peterson to coordinate activities throughout the district's 11 schools.
"She seemed like she would build a team concept with the principals. We need all of them to be on the same page at the same time," Mr. Baker said.
Ms. Hamler will also deal with staff development, some student discipline and help oversee implementation of the district's five-year plan.But she said she plans to spend time with the students, as well.
"Every child has his or her own needs and our role as educators is to be able to meet the needs of the individual child and to positively impact them. . . . You will always see me in the schools, sitting down and talking to the students. That's what I really enjoy," she said. Ms. Hamler said she gained rich experience as principal of the Clark Academy, assistant principal at Dater Junior High School and coordinator-in-charge at Woodward High School. And she looks forward to forging new, productive relationships with Princeton district staff, parents and kids.
"When I talked to some of them, we were on the same page. Our missions and philosophies were basically the same," she said. "All children can learn regardless of their background, ethnicity, race, cultural differences, whatever . . . given a caring environment, competent instructors and a good program."
