Lind School District welcomes new principal

Students at Lind Elementary School and Lind-Ritzville Middle School will see a new face at the Lind School District with the hiring of longtime administrator, Cindy Deska as the district principal.

Originally from Michigan, Deska began her experience as an educator there, before moving on to work at schools in Delaware and Texas.

After high school graduation, Deska set her sights on education and received her Bachelor’s Degree in elementary and special education from Michigan State University. She would later obtain two Master’s Degrees in special education and educational leadership, as well as her principal’s certificate.

She completed her Master’s programs at Oakland University and the University of Houston.

For the first five years of her educator experience, Deska taught special education for a school district in Michigan. She moved on to spend one year teaching in Delaware before moving to Texas to teach middle school for a couple of years.

During her time as an educator, Deska said she focused on special education because it was a high need area and she enjoyed the work. She had a desire to work with children, and she found the job rewarding, working with children in all age groups and at varying levels of need.

Part of her teaching opportunities also allowed her the opportunity to work in crisis intervention and help students with special needs.

She believes the work she did during this time was instrumental in strengthening her role as an administrator.

Deska began her administration experience at Gladys Polk Elementary School in Texas, as the assistant principal. After seven years with the district, she assumed the role of principal.

She spent nearly 17 years working as the principal for Gladys Polk before an opportunity to serve as a principal for the Hutto School District in Austin, Texas, presented itself. Deska said she had the chance to work alongside a friend and colleague, who served as the assistant superintendent.

Deska spent three years serving as the principal for the elementary school, which had nearly 650 students. She had experience working in both small and large districts, and knows her past experience will help her be effective as a principal for the Lind School District.

When the Lind position became available, Deska knew she could not pass up the opportunity. She had wanted to move to Washington for the chance to be closer to her family.

Deska’s daughter and son-in-law, Kellie and John Kragt, reside in Ritzville with her grandson Austin. She willingly admits a large portion of wanting the local job was so she could spend more quality time in her favorite role: being a grandma.

Along with her daughter, Deska also has a son Troy, who still resides in Austin, Texas.

Though the majority of Deska’s work has been in slightly larger districts, she is positive the smaller school district will be a good fit for her. She said she believes it is a good thing to work in a smaller district because it gives her more opportunities to interact with students and learn firsthand the needs of the district.

Deska said one of her main goals and her primary focus is to develop relationships with the students and parents. With her work at the school district, she said it provides her with an opportunity to be directly involved in the community.

For Deska, another one of her main goals is to provide consistency to the district and work to strengthen learning opportunities for students.

She said students in the district have the unique chance to be part of a cooperative school district and have chances to maintain a successful learning environment throughout their years in the Lind-Ritzville Cooperative Schools.

Deska said the middle school provides a unique opportunity for students to merge two classes together, something that can assist in developing a stronger learning environment. The change is a great experience for students in a small district, Deska said, and creates a chance for students to prepare for future learning environments, whether it be in high school or college.

For her first priority, Deska is focused on meeting with teachers and establishing the priorities in the district. With her experience in both elementary and middle school classrooms, Deska believes she will be able to work efficiently and develop effective communication between all staff members.

While Deska is still settling into the new role, after two weeks of hard work, she is anxiously awaiting the start of school. She said her favorite part of the job is the first day of school, when students come back and are enthusiastic and ready to learn.

Deska is focusing on learning the needs of the teachers and working to create schedules for the staff and middle school. She said currently, the main priority is finding a math teacher at the middle school, a position that has proved hard to fill.

At the initial start of school, Deska said the community should not expect to see many changes, as she will be spending the year evaluating the schools and determining the best course of action for the upcoming years.

One addition to the middle school this year is the hiring of a part-time Ag teacher. Deska said hiring an additional staff member for agricultural education, as well as to teach shop trade skills, could prove to be a crucial part of the curriculum. The opportunities in the program can assist students discover a career path or interest in a field they previously had not considered, and hands-on education is critical to development and learning.

Deska plans to split her time between the elementary and middle schools, but said she is more confident in her work at the elementary level because of her past experience.

Being in a small school district, Deska knows she has multiple hats to wear and additional responsibilities to assume, but she is anxious for the students and staff members to be in the school so her work can truly begin.

She knows the first day will be challenge, learning the ropes, but she is ready to continue in her position as an administrator and help bring long-term stability to the Lind School District.

To contact Deska, email [email protected], or contact her at the middle school, 677-3408 or elementary school at 677-3481.