Cleburne ISD Trustees experienced a “meet and greet” during the July 19 school board meeting with the introduction of five administrators who were approved for employment.

            Two were familiar faces, including that of Cleburne High School Assistant Principal Alyce Bell, who will now be serving as District Coordinator of Assessment. Bell fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Janet Helmcamp. Cleburne High School Lead Counselor Glenna Pollock is also moving into an administrative position as the new Director of Guidance and Counseling.

            Michelle Smith was introduced as Director of College/Career Readiness and Advanced Academics. Smith comes to Cleburne from Mansfield ISD, where she has served for 15 years in the role of lead high school counselor at Frontier STEM Academy and Ben Barber Innovation Academy.

             Ross Green, who was a member of the CHS English Department faculty for eight years, has been approved as the English/Language Arts/Reading and Pre-Kindergarten Coordinator for the District. Green has been the assistant principal at Acton Elementary School in Granbury the last three years.

            Daniel Hippman was welcomed by Trustees as the new assistant principal for Smith Middle School, following the resignation of Dustin Conn. Hippman brings 25 years of experience to the administrative post, with a resume that includes head band director, elementary math specialist and intermediate school science teacher.

            Bell has a total of 25 years in education, beginning in Burleson as an elementary teacher, going on to serve as an English as a Second Language Specialist, Reading and Math Interventionist and Instructional Coach. She came to CISD in 2012 as an instructional coach at Wheat Middle School before being named Academic Dean and Testing Coordinator. She has also served as an assistant principal at Irving and Coleman Elementary Schools before joining the administrative team at CHS in 2020.

            “I’m very excited to be serving in CISD in this new capacity,” Bell said. “I’ve always enjoyed overseeing our testing administrations at the campus level. I’m looking forward to working with all our schools.”

            Pollock’s 28 years in education is highlighted by 20 years as an elementary and Special Education counselor, with the majority of her career dedicated to students at CHS. Pollock was among the national honorees in the 2019 College Board Counselor Recognition Program. 

            As director of Guidance and Counseling, which is a new administrative position, she will
plan, develop, coordinate, train and provide leadership to the district guidance and counseling program in her work with campus counselors and students being served.

            “I’m thankful for the opportunity,” Pollock said. “This is a new position I’m so excited about. I’m also proud to work in a district that sees the importance of mental health supports for our students and staff—that’s amazing.”

            As an eight-year member of the CHS faculty, Green taught English, Pre-AP English and English as a Second Language. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in English, Writing and Rhetoric from St. Edward’s University and a Master’s Degree in Differentiated Instruction from Concordia University. Green is a member of the CHS Class of 2006.

            “I’m thankful for the opportunity to come back to Cleburne and be able to support the mission and vision of this district,” Green said. “I’m excited to support our teachers—as they support students.”

            Smith has a total of 25 years in education. She began her career as an English teacher with Crowley ISD, followed by eight years as a high school counselor in the Springtown and Mansfield school districts, preceding her promotion to lead counseling positions in MISD.

            “This is an amazing opportunity in coming to Cleburne,” Smith said. “I can’t wait to jump into the CISD family and be a part of all we do for students.”

            Hippman’s resume includes five years as an assistant band director in Arlington ISD, followed by 12 years as the head director at Arlington’s Ferguson Junior High. He has spent the past eight years with Mansfield ISD.

            Hippman expressed his gratitude to Trustees for the opportunity to serve the Smith MS community.

            “As a band director and classroom teacher, I’m looking forward to using my experience to empower our students to become resilient, innovative and creative lifelong learners,” he said. “I want our students to rely on their observations and empathy to find and solve problems, take risks, reflect on their learning and demonstrate outstanding character. I am very thankful to our school board, District administration and Principal Amber White for entrusting me with this awesome responsibility.”

            Contractual hires presented at the July 19 board meeting also included Natalie Alvarez, occupational therapist-Fulton; Chandler DeVine, Special Education Inclusion teacher-Wheat Middle School; Audrey Dobrenn, CISD English Learner Instructional Specialist; Sundi Forsythe, Parent/Family Engagement Liaison-Adams; Tessa Maurer, science teacher-CHS; Deidra Morgan, Parent/Family Engagement Liaison-CHS/TEAM School; Lisette Poindexter, third grade teacher-Marti; Allison Rodden, English/language arts/reading teacher-Smith MS; Aurelia Sauceda, second grade bilingual teacher-C.C. Cooke; Kimberly Saucedo, Parent/Family Engagement Liaison-Smith MS; Hallie Steele, math teacher-Smith MS; Jarrod Totman, Special Education Bridges teacher-Wheat MS; Alyssa VanWinkle, Parent/Family Engagement Liaison-Gerard; Marealbe Velasques, Parent/Family Engagement Liaison-Santa Fe; Ashley Abair, behavior interventionist-Fulton; Diana Flores, English as a Second Langue aide-Wheat MS; Audra Ibarra, receptionist-Coleman and Shay Street, counseling secretary-CHS.