In his first few days as Lebanon's new superintendent, Rob Hess has started work on several issues. Among them:

• Shifting personnel: Interim Superintendent George Lanning made several administrative changes. Hess has reversed the one that would have required Lacomb Principal Jennifer Meckley and Seven Oak Principal Ed Sansom to switch places this fall.

Lanning moved Seven Oak's assistant principal, Bo Yates, to Lebanon High School earlier this year, leaving the 550-student school with one administrator. That's a heavy load for one person, Hess said, and he'd prefer it be carried by someone who's used to the job.

Seven Oak - and Sansom - have been the target of parent complaints, most about student behavior and the school's response or lack thereof. While not laying the blame on Sansom specifically, Hess said it makes sense to address perceived problems in the environment in which they occur.

Teacher teams at the middle school, which Hess said he and Sansom will work with, will focus on literacy, math and behavior. Hess also plans to institute a full-time "pass room" at Seven Oak where students can be sent as an alternative to suspension.

"That has to be a priority over there," he said.

• Special education: State records indicate only about 15 percent of Lebanon's special education students graduate with a regular diploma. The district's own internal investigations have found special ed evaluations are not completed in a timely manner.

Lanning moved Pioneer Principal Ryan Noss, who has a special education background, to the district office to oversee student achievement, a move Hess applauds. The district also is using federal funding for a teacher to monitor some special ed services and is contracting with the Linn-Benton-Lincoln Education Service District to provide others.

• Sand Ridge Charter School: Lanning made a concerted effort to draw the charter school closer into the district fold. Hess said he wants to continue collaborative efforts, perhaps by organizing regular joint meetings of both organizations' boards of directors.

"I believe in options for parents, and Sand Ridge is a meaningful option," he said.

• Student achievement: Most Lebanon students are doing well in school, at least as measured by state assessment tests. Lebanon High School, which continues to lag behind the state average in reading and math, is the exception.

Hess points to Corbett High School east of Troutdale, where high school achievement has received national recognition. Corbett, he says, insists on high standards and Advanced Placement opportunities. It's a challenge Hess wants Lebanon to take up, with support and training for teachers to help make it work.

Hess supports the college credit Beyond LHS program and wants to see more teachers trained to lead AP classes and teach College Now courses for dual credit.

"For me, the answer all lies in student engagement," he says.

Jennifer Moody