Rudy Joya proves to be a great fit for CHS

Rudy Joya strides quickly down the halls of Cascade High School on a Tuesday morning while class is in session. Joya, the new assistant principal in Leavenworth, is used to being on the move; he doesn’t have a desk job. As he walks, he acknowledges students and staff with a friendly greeting, making sure the students have reason to be out of class. “I want to see the kids, interact with them, before I have reason to pull them from class,” he said. 

This is Joya’s first stint as administrator. “It’s way different than my years as a math teacher [at Wenatchee High School]. Last year I had four classes and always knew what to expect.” As an administrator, “There are always things that come up that I don’t plan for on a daily basis. I have to sometimes table my ‘plan’ to take care of more urgent needs.” 

Cascade’s principal, Elia Ala’ilima-Daley, has provided Joya guidance in learning his new roles. Joya said, “I am very comfortable bringing ideas and concerns to Elia, because even though it might not be one of his roles, he is more than willing to help me, and together we can make a decision. The main responsibilities I have are attendance, discipline, academics, and teacher evaluations.”

Ala’ilima-Daley further explained, “Our office staff collaborates daily. For consistency, Rudy and I run scenarios past each other, keeping each other on the same page. After these first three months, we can predict how the other will handle a situation.”

Joya was completing administrator training last spring when the job at Cascade posted. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to apply. I was excited to be at a small school. I can be involved in more projects here because the staff is small.” 

Joya stood out to the interviewing committee. Superintendent Bill Motsenbocker said, “School leadership requires strong people skills and the ability to foster lasting relationships. When Rudy walked into the interview, he immediately engaged with the hiring team through humor and dialogue. He was confident yet humble and attributes public education as the vehicle that launched his success.”

Joya has an energetic and athletic bearing and likes to wear a tie. “I started wearing a tie when I started teaching because I wanted to ‘stand out,’ given that a lot of people would confuse me with students. I also thought it was very professional if I wore a tie everyday. Ever since then, I’ve worn a tie.”

Pulling a student from class can be embarrassing, but Joya exudes an air of friendliness and patience along with imparting the seriousness of the matter. He prompts them to speak about the reasons behind, for instance, multiple tardies. Through a brief but pointed conversation, he helps the student drill down to the root of the problem and take ownership of the situation. “I want them to realize it is a big deal, but I also offer to help.”

In one of his many talks with students that Tuesday, Joya listened patiently. He looked the student in the eye and gave her a chance to answer before he started talking again. He encouraged her when she mentioned she liked math. “Maybe you should tutor. Maybe you’ll be a teacher some day.”

Joya also has the task of calling parents on occasion. “I like to talk to people. At the same time, I’m prepared to have the tough conversations. We are a team with the parents to create a good learning environment for their son or daughter.”

Joya helps Ala’ilima-Daley with teacher evaluations, so he spends time in classrooms. “Mostly I want to let teachers do their job. Let them send the discipline issues my way, so they can help all the other kids in class.”

Spanish fluency is an asset at Cascade. “We have many parents and students that have limited English,” Joya explained. “Both my parents are limited in English, so I feel like I have a good understanding of how limited-English parents feel when they need to go into school or get involved. I try to break that barrier down to invite Hispanic parents in and help them be involved in their students’ education. At the same time, I am here for all students and parents.”

Joya arrives close to 7 a.m. every morning. His day often extends into the evening if he attends sporting events with his wife, Bethany, and young daughters, Elayna and Gretta. He showed his school spirit by travelling to watch the state tournaments for girls’ soccer and volleyball this fall. “I like to see the students outside of school, doing what they love.”

Soccer is part of Joya’s life and connected him to students at Cascade before he even started working here. He coaches in Cashmere and Wenatchee and also plays soccer in a summer league that involves a bunch of local high schoolers. And his extended family includes Cascade high school students. Thus, Cascade High School is a good fit for Rudy Joya. And maybe that’s why, he said, “My wife always says I come home happy.”