Keizertimes., April 30, 2021, Page 17, Image 17

APRIL 30, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A17
LIFE
Second
to none
Celt principal
takes statewide
honor
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
At the end of the school day on Friday,
April 23, McNary principal Erik Jespersen
thought he was going to the gym to help
athletic director Scott Gragg move some
chairs.
Instead, he was met by a litany of
teachers, district administrators, stu-
dent-body leadership and stalwarts of the
Keizer community to present him with a
surprise.
Unbeknownst to him, Jespersen
was named the Oregon 2021 High
School Principal of the Year by the
Oregon Association of Secondary
School
Administrators
(OASSA)
and the Coalition of Oregon School
Administrators (COSA). Salem-Keizer
Public Schools (SKPS) Superintendent
Christy Perry presented Jespersen with
the award.
“I am just blown away. I have a lot of
emotions right now. I am so thankful for
our staff , our community and our lead-
ership. My heart is touched,” Jespersen
said.
Jespersen is in his seventh year as
the McNary principal. He previously
served as an assistant principal, instruc-
tional coach and social studies teacher at
McNary and McKay High School. 
“Erik was chosen because he stands
out. To run a large, 6A high school under
construction and in a pandemic and still
seeing the enthusiasm and the commit-
ment to being world class, that’s why he
was recognized,” Perry said. “I see his
vision and how he has, over time, built
that vision into a reality. He is an all-
around great guy, super personable, and
cares about the kids and the community.”
Graduation rates have grown expo-
nentially since Jespersen took over at
McNary, rising from 82% in 2014 to over
91% in 2020. The Latino graduation rate
at the school also rose nearly 10% in the
last six years while the rate for students
on an Individualized Learning Plan (IEP)
has improved by over 30% since 2014.
  “You are the most profound princi-
pal I have ever had the opportunity to
see engage children’s lives and I am so
grateful for you and this is so deserving,”
said Salem-Keizer School Board Zone 6
Feel -Good
STORY
Saluting the people that make
us proud of our community
presented by
Christy Perry, superintendent of Salem-Keizer Public Schools, congratulates McNary High
School Principal Erik Jespersen in a ceremony Friday, April 23. Jespersen was named the
Oregon 2021 High School Principal of the Year by the Oregon Association of Secondary
School Administrators (OASSA) and the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators (COSA).
representative Danielle Bethell.  
“Erik leads the team and expects
everyone to be world class. He sets the
example,” Keizer Mayor Cathy Clark said.
“During 2020 when our world was turned
upside down, McNary landed on its feet.”
Along with increasing graduation
rates during his tenure, Jespersen has
created a “1-1-1 Initiative,” encouraging
all students to participate in at least
one club, one sport or one activity every
year and has channeled a Nike School
Innovation Fund grant into a remodel
of McNary’s College and Career Center,
creating a hub to ensure students have
a plan after graduation — McNary 2020
graduates earned more that $10 million
in scholarships. 
In 2018, McNary was named an AVID
Site of Distinction, providing staff with
the tools needed to reach all students
while using an equity lens. Jespersen has
a goal of making McNary into an AVID
Demonstration School in the near future. 
“I have had the pleasure of working
with Erik on an accreditation team and
facilitated an AVID training with Erik
and his staff . His balanced dedication to
instruction, achievement, and relation-
ships is what we look for in exceptional
leaders in Oregon,” said Majalise Tolan,
OASSA President.
Jespersen’s leadership has been espe-
cially apparent during the COVID-19
pandemic. When schools were required
to operate via distance learning, high
schools all over the country had a much
greater number of students failing
classes — in the beginning of November,
it was estimated that nearly half of the
nearly 13,000 high schoolers in SKPS
were failing at least one class.
See SECOND, page 18
Photo by MATT RAWLINGS of Keizertimes