Collaros leaves district behind, but relationships remain
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| SNP photo by Jeffry
Konczal As students enjoy their summer days, Chris Collaros is making the transition from his principal position at Evening Street Elementary School to a similar job at Wickliffe Progressive Community School. |
* The Evening Street principal has accepted a job with UA's Wickliffe Progressive School.
By PAMELA WILLIS
Principal Chris Collaros will say goodbye to Evening Street
Elementary School this fall and turn his focus to Upper
Arlington's Wickliffe Progressive Community School.
In a move that puts a little music in the mix, Collaros, 45, will replace Fred Burton, who is the other half of Principally Speaking, a rock duo Collaros and Burton started to satisfy their "passion for rock music from the '60s and '70s."
Both men play guitar and perform about twice a month at local clubs and restaurants.
Burton is retiring from Upper Arlington schools after serving more than 30 years in education. He was principal of Worthington's Granby Elementary School for seven of those years.
Collaros said he was attracted to the position in Upper Arlington after learning more about Wickliffe's progressive program.
"I've always been enamored by the principles of progressive education," he said. "Wickliffe is an informal kindergarten-through-fifth-grade program that practices a progressive model.
"I worked with Fred at Granby in my first seven years of teaching, before he left to become the principal at Wickliffe, and I was highly influenced by the professional development we did together," he said.
Collaros earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton University and a master's degree in early childhood development and elementary principal certification from Ohio State University.
His first teaching position was at Granby, beginning in 1989. He served as Worthington's elementary summer school principal for two years and became principal at Evening Street in 2005.
Evening Street became a Blue Ribbon School in 2006. Collaros traveled to Washington, D.C., to accept the 2006 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School award in November that year.
"I'll miss so many things about Evening Street and the Worthington school district," Collaros said. "I've been with Worthington schools for 19 years, and I'll miss staff members, students, families and the folks I've worked with in the central office.
"I think I'll still be able to maintain many of those relationships, though, because my family and I live in Worthington, and we have no intention of leaving the community," he said.
Collaros and his wife Sharon have three daughters: Maria, 16, Sophia, 13, and Zoe, 11.
"What stands out about my career in Worthington and what touches me the most is when I see former students or their parents, and they take the time to let me know that I did have some impact on their lives in some important way," he said.
Collaros said he is eager to get to know Wickliffe students and families.
"My goal in the first year will be, as Steven Covey said, 'to seek to understand before being understood'," he said. "I'll support the principles of progressive education there while learning more about them myself."
Collaros will be replaced at Evening Street by former Hilliard principal Mary Rykowski.
In a move that puts a little music in the mix, Collaros, 45, will replace Fred Burton, who is the other half of Principally Speaking, a rock duo Collaros and Burton started to satisfy their "passion for rock music from the '60s and '70s."
Both men play guitar and perform about twice a month at local clubs and restaurants.
Burton is retiring from Upper Arlington schools after serving more than 30 years in education. He was principal of Worthington's Granby Elementary School for seven of those years.
Collaros said he was attracted to the position in Upper Arlington after learning more about Wickliffe's progressive program.
"I've always been enamored by the principles of progressive education," he said. "Wickliffe is an informal kindergarten-through-fifth-grade program that practices a progressive model.
"I worked with Fred at Granby in my first seven years of teaching, before he left to become the principal at Wickliffe, and I was highly influenced by the professional development we did together," he said.
Collaros earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton University and a master's degree in early childhood development and elementary principal certification from Ohio State University.
His first teaching position was at Granby, beginning in 1989. He served as Worthington's elementary summer school principal for two years and became principal at Evening Street in 2005.
Evening Street became a Blue Ribbon School in 2006. Collaros traveled to Washington, D.C., to accept the 2006 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School award in November that year.
"I'll miss so many things about Evening Street and the Worthington school district," Collaros said. "I've been with Worthington schools for 19 years, and I'll miss staff members, students, families and the folks I've worked with in the central office.
"I think I'll still be able to maintain many of those relationships, though, because my family and I live in Worthington, and we have no intention of leaving the community," he said.
Collaros and his wife Sharon have three daughters: Maria, 16, Sophia, 13, and Zoe, 11.
"What stands out about my career in Worthington and what touches me the most is when I see former students or their parents, and they take the time to let me know that I did have some impact on their lives in some important way," he said.
Collaros said he is eager to get to know Wickliffe students and families.
"My goal in the first year will be, as Steven Covey said, 'to seek to understand before being understood'," he said. "I'll support the principles of progressive education there while learning more about them myself."
Collaros will be replaced at Evening Street by former Hilliard principal Mary Rykowski.
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