Principal leads pair of schools to ‘outstanding’ report card ratings

Naomi Montelongo, who heads up Dilley and Gales Creek elementaries, sees both her schools get an A-plus on Oregon Report Card

By Nancy Townsley

The Forest Grove News-Times, Nov 18, 2009

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Dedicated teachers, involved parents and eager students have added up to an “A” grade for Dilley and Gales Creek elementary schools.

Both Forest Grove schools snagged the highest possible rating on the 2008-09 Oregon Report Card, released Nov. 9 by the state department of education in Salem.

In a newly simplified system, schools were rated “outstanding”, “satisfactory” or “needs improvement.”

All of Forest Grove’s other schools wound up in the “satisfactory” category.

Dilley, with 220 students, and Gales Creek, with 119, both are led by Principal Naomi Montelongo, who splits her time between the two campuses each week.

Dilley principal for the past five years, Montelongo took over a part-time principalship at Gales Creek this fall, replacing Betty Flick, who retired.

Before that, she was assistant principal at Tom McCall Upper Elementary School in Forest Grove.

‘Really pleased’

Montelongo said she was “really pleased” with her schools’ report card performances.

“There’s no real magic to it,” Montelongo said Monday after a morning staff meeting. “The teaching staffs at both schools are extremely dedicated, and they put the students first. Also, they have high expectations for the students.”

Montelongo added that dozens of parent volunteers at both schools “are willing to do whatever it takes” to bolster student success.

In 2007-08, both Dilley and Gales Creek were rated “strong” on the state report card, just one position away from an “exceptional” designation. There was no “outstanding” category that year.

Montelongo credited Flick with continued success at Gales Creek, the district’s smallest school – but she’s happy to keep the achievement ball rolling.

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