From curator to coordinator, Taylor Libolt is here to help

The new School Improvement Teacher on Assignment has the experience perfectly suited to support Colton High

Emmanuel Ramos, Pepper Bough Staff Writer|November 22, 2021

Taylor+Libolt+joined+the+CHS+staff+in+October+2021+as+the+School+Improvement+Teacher+on+Assignment.

J. Dollins

Taylor Libolt joined the CHS staff in October 2021 as the School Improvement Teacher on Assignment.

Taylor Libolt has only been working at Colton High for a few weeks, yet he cares deeply about improving the school experience for the student body.

In October 2021, Libolt was hired as the School Improvement Teacher on Assignment (T.O.A.) at Colton High School. This job requires him to be there for the school and encourage improvement in all its programs.

The T.O.A. is a position in the Colton Joint Unified School District in which classroom teachers take on new responsibilities to support students and staff in various capacities at a school site. What Libolt is mainly responsible for is the creation and management of the Colton High School WASC Report.

What is WASC?

WASC is the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. They are an organization devoted to fostering “excellence in elementary, secondary, adult and postsecondary institutions, and supplementary education programs.” This includes forming committees that go to schools to evaluate the school’s programs in order to make recommendations for improvement. To schools like Colton High, this includes granting status as an accrediting institution, meaning that the diplomas issued are valid.

A WASC committee, comprised of volunteer educators, visits the school site for several days to meet with administrators, teachers, support staff, and students in an attempt to get a full understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the visit, the committee will return with a recommendation, and a schedule for their next visit.

“The WASC is the Western Association of Schools and Colleges,” Libolt explained. “It’s an accrediting organization that comes in and studies high schools and colleges. They’re there to make sure everything is up to par.”

Colton High School has to write a self-study report to be shared with the WASC committee upon their arrival to assess the school. Libolt is responsible for organizing teams of teachers, administrators, and staff on campus to develop this report. 

The report is a comprehensive study of the school that documents its performance in a variety of areas. These areas include: organization, curriculum, assessment, instruction, and school culture.

“We’re always trying to figure out what we’re doing great, and how we can do more of this,” Libolt said. “And where are there areas where we can make improvements so we can develop a plan.”

Libolt re-enacts former President Nixon’s (in)famous pose during his time working with the Nixon Library and Museum in 2011. (Courtesy Taylor Libolt)

This job seems like the perfect fit for Libolt. Before he became a teacher, he worked in museums, like the National Archives Education Dept at the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, and as the chief curator at the Mission Inn Museum in Riverside where he was responsible for their education programming and outreach.

“It feels like the research training and actual research I did for my History MA, plus the curatorial work were a good foundation for all the data and information collecting I have to do for the WASC report.”

He continued, “I spent a lot of time sitting in archives and basements sifting through hundreds of boxes of documents.”

Libolt does not have just one, or two, but three jobs he performs for Colton High. In addition to working on the WASC report, he also collaborates with other site T.O.As in the implementation and administration of the NWEA MAP testing program. More importantly, though, he supports new teachers and their development through coaching.

“I remember how stressful the first year of teaching can be,” he said, “and I hope I can provide some guidance to make the start of their careers easier and more successful.”

Before coming to Colton High, Libolt worked as a social science teacher for the past seven years at Terrace Hills Middle School.

Libolt never would have taken this job if it hadn’t been for the staff and teachers, especially since he has to drive a little more just to get to this school. He really likes it here.