The Peninsula School District has some outstanding people in leadership positions, but two in particular — Dan Gregory of Henderson Bay High and Jacque Crisman of Evergreen Elementary — have distinguished themselves and their schools.
Gregory’s work has put Henderson Bay on the map as an alternative school, even after the idea wasn’t widely accepted by the community when a search for a location was being conducted. Now the school serves as an alternative to Gig Harbor or Peninsula high schools, mostly for students whose lives were somehow interrupted by the standard education process. It’s where some of the most inspiring stories of overcoming adversity come from, whether it be a dropping out of school to get a family supporting job or a teen pregnancy or another life-altering reason.
But Gregory went above and beyond when he pushed for an accreditation from the Association of Educational Service Districts — something that isn’t required. It shows he cares about students receiving a fair education, and the school district was supportive every step of the way.
Crisman has different challenges at Evergreen, a small school on the southern Key Peninsula where more than half of the attendees have free or reduced lunch because of their family’s economic status. Those children, many of whom come from single-parent homes, could easily slip through the cracks, if they don’t get as much academic help as others.
When Crisman took the job nine years ago, Evergreen struggled with its scores on the reading portion of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning exam. But with aggressive approaches that include specialized reading instruction and an After ’Ours program that keeps interested students learning well beyond the required school day, Evergreen improved so much that it was awarded a Title I grant as the state’s distinguished school this year.
Gregory and Crisman are part of a strong school district, and we’re also thankful for teachers’ and other staff members’ support that help carry out their visions.
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