By Isabelle Chiu
Sport Editor
After two years of working as one of Mira Costa’s vice principals and seven total years in the district, Kristin Wolberg will be leaving Mira Costa and the Manhattan Beach Unified School District at the end of the school year.
In February, Wolberg announced her departure from the district due to personal reasons. Wolberg began working as an eighth-grade English teacher beginning in 2009 at Manhattan Beach Middle School and served as a Mira Costa vice principal from 2015-17.
“I’m going to miss all of my kids and colleagues,” Wolberg said. “It has been a great time, and I’m excited for what lies ahead for everybody at [Costa], and hopefully I’ll keep in touch with a lot of them.”
Click here to see more photos about Wolberg’s leave
Wolberg received a dual degree in Economics and Political Science at the University of San Diego. Wolberg took on the role of vice principal at Costa in 2015 after receiving her second Master’s Degree in Education Administration. Wolberg’s work includes overseeing the Math Department at Costa and handling issues regarding technology, testing and student attendance throughout the school year.
Read about the MBUSD Board goals for the 2016-2017 school year
“The spirit of the work done around attendance this year is not to be more strict; it is to be more personal so we can get to know people’s individual circumstances and provide the appropriate support as a school to help attendance,” Wolberg said.
One major initiative Wolberg implemented during her time as Costa’s vice principal was the school-wide use of the learning management system, Canvas, this school year. The main purpose of this program is to unify teachers and students by integrating them on one platform, Wolberg said.
Read more about Costa’s implementation of Canvas
“Improvement is a constant process, [and] the transition is going to be key,” Wolberg said. “[There are] a lot of jobs I have that I’m in the middle of; I want to make sure those don’t just stop when I leave. I want to make sure they are not only continued and picked up where I left off, but that the next person is ready to look for ways to continually improve each of those initiatives.”
According to Mira Costa Principal Dr. Ben Dale, the school selected Tara Grings from Hawthorne Unified School District as Wolberg’s replacement. Grings was approved at the MBUSD Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday.
“[Wolberg] is leaving big shoes to fill,” Dale said. “It is hard not to be selfish on how [her departure] affects me, but I am trying to realize how much of a benefit and a blessing it is in her life to do what she is doing.”
Wolberg plans to spend the next year traveling and will move to Oregon next spring. Once in Oregon, she plans to do an administrative job in a secondary school but has not determined which school district she will be working at yet.
“Ms. Wolberg has been in the district for a long time, and she’s been a great leader in the district for a long time, and she’s been a positive influence on kids for a long time,” Dale said. “She’s been a great colleague and a great friend; I’ll miss her dearly.”
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