HMS principal named district curriculum director

CARBON SCHOOL
DISTRICT
Mika Salas was named the new director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for Carbon School District on June 11.
The district began advertising for a new principal for Helper Middle School after Salas’ promotion; she was the school’s chief administrator for five years.
“I was a bit torn about taking the position, but I am looking forward to it,” she said. “It took a lot of soul searching to even apply for the job. I do very much love the whole Helper community and the school. I have loved everything about it for years. I will miss it all.”
Salas has a lot of Helper Middle School in her blood. She not only attended there as a student when she was growing up, but she also taught there for a time before becoming principal.
But those things pale to the love she has for the staff and faculty at the school. Her greeting of students daily at the front door of the building is almost legendary, and it shows her dedication and energy. Now, instead, she will be sharing her talents and drive to make things better at every school in the district.
“In her new position she is going to have an impact on thousands of students in the district,” said Superintendent Lance Hatch. “She is that good.”
She said that while she was thinking about applying for the position, she started to wonder how much she could help.
“I kept coming back to the idea that if I could help other schools and their students to become more effective, I should do it,” she said. “Lance is a very instructionally sound superintendent. Having the opportunity to learn from him and work with him will be great. I think he has the right vision for the district.”
Under her leadership, SAGE (Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence) scores at Helper Middle have grown quickly. In 2013 the school earned a D rating from the state. Last year it was awarded an A.
One of the things she did while principal, and a difficult thing to do anywhere, in any profession is to make the school a place where both students and staff loved coming to learn and work. Along with a very skilled and dedicated group of teachers, counselors and classified employees she helped to create a tiered behavior management system that helped many students overcome problems and resolve their differences. Much of that comes from her honesty with students about their situations. And while sometimes what she has done seemed tough, it was always done in the spirit of helping students and teachers.
Hatch says her new duties will be expansive in her new position.
“My belief is that the superintendent of a school district should be the one that evaluates principals and is hands on in that regard,” said Hatch. “She will not be doing any of that. She will be a huge support to the schools as an expert helping them to problem solve, to work through CTE (Career and Technical Education), instructional issues and to help with collaboration in Professional Learning Communities.”
The superintendent pointed out that the district recently went through three days of fairly intensive work sessions with some teachers and all administrators on the new approach they will be taking to getting things done next year.
“The schools came out of it with an improvement plan and goals all based on the analysis of data,” stated the Superintendent. “So we need someone to champion that effort. That will be a huge part of Mika’s job.”
Salas’ experience as a teacher began in Davis School District where she taught junior high for a year. After that her husband Steve, who was at the time a brand new Highway Patrol Trooper, was sent to Green River. 
She lived there for four years and worked for the Southeast Education Service Center where she helped teachers implement technology in the four county area. She then came to Helper and worked as a math teacher for eight years and later became the math specialist for the district, a position she left after three years to become a principal in 2013.
“I have to say that I feel kind of bad about not being able to say goodbye to the kids at Helper,” she said. “But then I am not very good at goodbyes.”