Friday, March 29, 2024

A new leader for Cascade School District

Tracey Beckendorf-Edou

Posted

    Officially stepping into her new role on July 1, Dr. Tracey Beckendorf-Edou will be taking the reigns and being the face of Cascade School District - she will be the new Cascade School District Superintendent as former superintendent Bill Motsenbocker has retired.
    "To me I feel like I'm coming home," said Beckendorf-Edou. "I think that this community is probably the most beautiful place in the entire country. I've been coming here since I was a little girl."
    Though Beckendorf-Edou is a Washington native, with ties to Chelan County dating back to 1904, she is migrating back to the Evergreen State from her former position in Tennessee at Oak Ridge Schools.
    "Looking into the data and the information available (about Cascade School District) I could tell this was a really good school district, there's great community support and I also really like the multilingual aspect of the student population," said Beckendorf-Edou.
    While familiar with the valley and the mountains, Beckendorf-Edou has been observing the school district over the span of months since she accepted the offer for the position. Cascade School District caught Beckendorf-Edou's eye and when she immersed herself in the community, it was love at first sight.
    "It's very obvious that the community is very supportive of public education here, definitely can see that in the world class facilities. The community has been instrumental in building and renovating," said Beckendorf-Edou. "You can also tell there's a really good board of education through the work they have done with the school district and community. So all of these things just make it a great place."
    She surveyed the new buildings, staff and students with great admiration and is eager to dive in contribute to the successful school district with her own ideas and goals in mind.
    "When you are in a district this size, it's really possible to build good relationships with staff, parents, students and community members. I think that's the best kind of place to work," said Beckendorf-Edou. "The first thing I want to do is get to know everybody. Getting to know different people, different stakeholders, different viewpoints so I better understand the community, the school district, the schools, the needs and the strengths of the school district so that moving forward we can work in sync together."
    Beckendorf-Edou has many qualities that make her an ideal superintendent and she seems that she will fit into Cascade School District seamlessly. Her background in education provides her ample experience to guide her into this new role. She has rotated through many positions across the board for education: a teacher, a math coach, Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow and a senior project manager for federal STEM education programs.
    "I'm a good listener, I'm very thorough, I'm really very good at decision making in a collaborative way," said Beckendorf-Edou. "I like to work together to make decisions that are in the best interests of students."
    Beckendorf-Edou is no stranger to being a leader in the education realm as she has left her previous role as the executive director of teaching and learning for a high performing STEM district. She has her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership that only highlights Beckendorf-Edou knows how to lead.
    "I'm somebody who has a strong background in teaching and learning, so my primary emphasis will be on curriculum and instruction," said Beckendorf-Edou. "I'm also very interested in technology and thinking about what our students will in the future to be successful."
    She shares the same values that are already imbedded in Cascade School District staff - particularly dedication to providing quality education to the students that fill the halls.
    "I'm really looking forward to building relationships with all the different community members, the staff, the principals, the parents, students and being apart of the community here," said Beckendorf-Edou.
 

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