Shetter takes the reins

Odessa High School’s new principal is moving in and ready to move forward.

Denise Shetter walks through the halls of Odessa High School the same way a new owner walks through a new home — there’s a blend of pride of ownership and uncertainty in her stride as she walks down the halls of the high school.

During the last few weeks, Shetter has found herself in the difficult position of being slung between two jobs, her old one as principal of Bowie Junior High School, and her new one, as the principal of OHS.

"It’s been busy. I’ll be doing things for Bowie and then I’ve got to sign things for OHS. It’ll be nice to finally focus on one thing again," Shetter said.

Shetter is known for having a positive attitude and an impressive work ethic, ECISD superintendent Hector Mendez said. This plus the fact that Bowie Junior High School went from being an academically unacceptable campus to a recognized campus during her tenure as principal there are the reasons Mendez chose her to be the new OHS principal, he said.

OHS ranks below Permian, Midland Lee and Midland High in TAKS scores. The low high school completion rate among the economically disadvantaged caused both OHS and Permian to be rated academically unacceptable last year.

Mendez said he recommended Shetter to the board because of the work she has done as a teacher and administrator. He said he has also been impressed by her willingness to learn, and her enthusiasm for education. OHS has its challenging aspects, but Mendez said he is confident Shetter will be able to handle them.

Mendez said every school has different challenges for an administrator to deal with. It’s the administrator’s job to build relationships and create an environment where the students can be successful, he said.

"I think Denise Shetter understands this and is willing to do whatever’s necessary to give the students their education. That’s our responsibility as educators," Mendez said.

The school board unanimously confirmed her last month. Shetter started moving into her new office at the beginning of July.

"The focus is going to be on structure, looking at the school and figuring out what changes can we make to get maximum instruction time for the kids," she said.

To do this, Shetter said, both administrators and teachers are looking at how long it takes to get from one side of campus to the other. They are going to look at how long it takes to get a class started and to take attendance. Shetter said she believes increasing instruction time will help students get better at taking standardized tests.

Her goal is to get more students into Advanced Placement classes, get the TAKS scores up and to make OHS a recognized campus. Making sure students are getting as much class time as possible is one way to do it, she said.

Shetter said she will emphasize making sure teachers and administrators know their students.

"You’d be surprised what students can do if they feel like people know them. If they’re out and a teacher says, ‘Hey, I missed you. Hey, where were you,’ it makes a difference. These are the kinds of things that matter," Shetter said.

It all comes back to communication. Shetter said she wants administrators and teachers not only to know who a student is, but to know what each particular student needs to be successful, what their specific problems are, what their set of circumstances are.

She also values communication.

"I have a vision of where OHS is going, and the journey is not negotiable, but I want to hear from people. I want to hear different ideas and approaches, because while the journey isn’t negotiable, the way we’re actually going to get there definitely is," Shetter said.

In her time since taking office as principal, Shetter has met with all of the department heads at the school. She said she plans to meet with teachers before the school year begins to talk about the direction OHS is headed as well.

"We will be going there, but there are a lot of different ways to actually make the journey," Shetter said.

Most principals spend 60 hours a week working and Shetter said she knows she’ll work more than that this year. She said she’ll spend much of the first year learning what doesn’t work, she said.

"I’ve got some ideas and there are things I’m going to try, but, come March or April, I’ll be able to talk about all the things I’ll be doing differently the next year. That’s how you learn and get better," Shetter said, with a smile.

Right now, the walls of her new office are bare, the bookshelves are empty, but Shetter said she is not concerned about it. She doesn’t expect to be there often.

"If you’re looking for me, you won’t find me in here. When school starts I’ll be out there, walking the halls. That’s where my job is," she said.