Mariana Robles will leave her position as Lower School Director after eight years.
By KATIE MILLER
News editor
Following eight years of service, Mariana Robles, Lower School Director, has announced her departure from Poly effective at the end of the 2008-2009 school year. The search firm Carney Sandoe & Associates has been retained to conduct a nationwide search for candidates “of the highest caliber” to fill the position. A separate Poly search committee headed by Mary Bristow, kindergarten teacher, and Lori Dver, Learning Resource Coordinator, will interview candidates this fall. The committee is looking to hire a replacement for the 2009-2010 school year as early as winter break.
Robles began her tenure at Poly as the interim Lower School Director seven years ago, earning an offer to take on the position permanently. It did not take long for Robles to make an impact. Carmie Rodriguez, Middle School Director at the time, explains that Robles brought “years of experience in public school and her knowledge of curriculum” with her.
During her tenure, Robles oversaw “the transition from two to three classes of kindergarten and first grade, the introduction of Spanish in the kindergarten and the adoption of K-5 reading and math programs,” according to Head of School Debbie Reed. Influential in developing Poly’s Master Plan, Reed explains that Robles has “advocat[ed] for Lower School facilities that meet today’s programmatic needs and allow for future curricular growth.” As a result of Robles’ efforts, the Lower School is in a “strong position” for the future, states Reed.
Throughout the years, Robles has demonstrated a strong interest in community and philanthropic programs, including serving on the Board of Directors of El Centro de Acción, a local program dedicated to providing advocacy, educational and social programs to better the lives of the Latino and low-income community in the San Gabriel Valley area.
“The decision to leave [Poly] was a difficult one for me,” explains Robles. “I have always had the ultimate goal of teaching full time at the university level and I have always felt a strong commitment to public education.” Although her plans for the immediate future are not solidified, Robles ultimately has determined that “the time was right to make this my last year at Poly and [Reed] has been great about helping me brainstorm ideas for my next career move.”
Robles expects what she will miss the most about leaving the Lower School Director position is “the sense of community at Poly. I know what we have here is very unique and I feel fortunate to have experienced it these last eight years.”
Though she is leaving her position, Robles is still a Poly parent and “will be able to keep an eye on you all from afar!”
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