Clarke Central High School Principal Marie Yuran sits outside CCHS’ ceremonial entrance. Yuran was named principal on Sept. 1, after serving as the interim principal following Dr. Robbie P. Hooker’s departure. “I’ve gotten to work with parents and community members in a different way. I’m excited about the ideas that they bring to the table,” Yuran said. Photo by Julie Alpaugh.
By ANEESA CONINE-NAKANO – Editor-in-Chief
Clarke Central High School Principal Marie Yuran, fellow administrators and students discuss Yuran’s first year as principal and plans for the future.
Marie Yuran was named Clarke Central High School’s principal on Sept. 1, 2016. Previously, Yuran served as the interim principal after Dr. Robbie P. Hooker’s departure last spring. Reflecting on her year, Yuran has enjoyed reaching out and bonding with community members through her new position.
“I think (a) highlight is just getting to serve in this role and work with this community in a different way. The establishment of our local school governance team through the charter district has been great,” Yuran said. “I’ve gotten to work with parents and community members in a different way. I’m excited about the ideas that they bring to the table.”
CCHS Assistant Principal Reginald Thomas believes that Yuran has been successful in her role as principal, especially since the last stages of renovations were completed during the year.
“I think she has kept the faculty together. The leadership team, all of us, are focused on the same ideas as far as seeing our students be successful. Opening up a new building, all the headaches and things that go along with that, she has managed, from my perspective, for it to be smooth,” Thomas said.
Senior Davion Pope, who had Hooker as a principal for three years and experienced the administrative transition, has been pleased with the changes within the school.
“I think it’s been good. She has made some changes and has taken initiative over issues we’ve had at our school for some time now with the (tardy) policy, people leaving trash around the school and the no outside food rule in school,” Pope said. “I think students haven’t gotten used to her being principal yet. I feel like with time, students will respect her more.”
As for regrets, Yuran believes due to a lack of time, some changes were not implemented that had been discussed.
“There are certainly things that I would say that we as an administration have talked about, that we would have hoped to have gotten done, and would have loved to have gotten done, but there simply hasn’t been enough time to get it done,” Yuran said. “I am proud of us as an administrative team because we’ve done this down a man. We’ve almost made it to the end of the school year with one less administrator.”
Looking towards the future, Yuran says one of the biggest highlights of her year will be graduating the class of 2017.
“Since I started working in high school, (graduation) by far for me is my favorite day of the year. I’m going to get teary eyed thinking about it. That is the day to celebrate accomplishments that students have been working for 13 years including kindergarten and your parents have dreamed of that day since you were born,” Yuran said. “This class has seen not only changes here at Clarke Central with the building the whole time, but changes in leadership and they’re about to step forward into another change.”
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