Colton, CA—In a surprising announcement at December 15’s School Board meeting, Colton High School principal Joda Murphy was named as the Colton Joint Unified School District’s brand new Director of School Improvement and Accountability.

Murphy, who has been principal at Colton High School for the past seven years, has become a beloved fixture of the school community. Her commitment to turning Colton High into a collaborative school culture in which all voices—faculty, parent, teacher—are heard has been a hallmark of her tenure.

“I was worried about overstaying my welcome,” Murphy said, admitting that she believed she had done all that she could do to empower the school community, and that a new voice might be needed to support Colton High’s progress and success.

Under Murphy’s leadership, Colton High has made enormous progress. It has become a model for collaboration districtwide. “The things I’m most proud of is the work that we did at our Leadership Labs,” she said. “And the work we did with the RSP Superteam.”

Murphy summed up her accomplishments at Colton High with her belief that the school now “had a vision and a plan that was created by our people and that everyone was working towards a common goal.”

Her new position, which she will occupy starting in February, expands her desire to bring people together in collaboration. As Director of School Improvement and Accountability, Murphy will be leading the district’s LCAP—Local Control and Accountability Plan—committees. 

LCAP determines how local funding will be utilized to enhance and support programs as they help achieve district goals. Murphy will work closely with various stakeholder groups to help maximize the use of those funds to support district growth and progress.

The new position brings with it opportunities. Murphy most looks forward to “learning new things. I feel like I’ll grow as a person and I’ll be challenged in a new way.”

Her gain, however, is Colton High’s loss. Already there has been an outpouring of support from faculty and students online. They will miss her energy and enthusiasm, whether it be shouting “Two minutes” during passing periods to encourage kids to get to class, cheering at home games, or interrupting class with important announcements.

And she will miss it, too. She will miss the kids and their energy, as well as the relationships she has built with the staff. “People work together,” she said about Colton’s faculty. “And they are always willing to do things to better things for students. I just love this staff.”

“A high school is kind of crazy,” she concluded. “There’s something about the thrill of ‘what’s gonna happen next.’ It was exciting.”