Ashley Benz has taken another step on her path of giving back to the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn communities. The 2004 graduate of HMS, who has taught in the district in some capacity since 2014, is now the Elementary School Principal. She succeeds Cathy Jochims in that role.
“The (principal) position at HMS was attractive to me because I have a strong passion for continuing to make HMS a great place to raise a family because of the high-quality education students receive here,” stated Benz. “I also have a strong desire to give back to the communities that have given so much to me while growing up.”
Benz ventured from the immediate area to earn her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education at the University of Sioux Falls, graduating in the spring of 2008. For the next five years she taught fourth grade in the Sioux Falls Community School District. “I think one of the best things I did was start my career in a large district,” commented Benz. “I learned many things including a greater appreciation for HMS and where I came from.”
The erstwhile resident came home again in 2014 to become a fourth grade teacher in the HMS district. She assumed the duties of Elementary Instructional Coach in 2016 and added the responsibilities of Teacher Leadership and Mentor Coordinator in 2020.
“Because I have had different experiences I am able to pull the good from each of those settings and leave behind things that did not go so well,” explained the new principal. “Stepping into the instructional coach role five years ago as well as having had some great leaders along the way who invested time in me is what ultimately led me to explore administration.”
Those last comments hinted at the fact that principal has not been a lifelong goal for Benz. “When I started in education I don’t think it ever crossed my mind to become a principal,” she said. “It wasn’t until I became an instructional coach that I became interested in administration and started taking classes.”
The career educator holds two other degrees in the field. She earned her Masters of Education, Curriculum and Instruction with an Emphasis in Technology from Black Hills State University in August of 2013. Six years later Benz obtained a Masters of Education, School Leadership from Dordt University.
Benz knows she needs to see the big picture in her new role. “The lens through which I look at things has become a lot bigger!” observed the principal. “As an instructional coach most of my time was spent on curriculum and instruction and supporting teachers in their effort to improve teaching and student learning. Now my attention has to shift to all aspects of the school and making sure it is running effectively.”
Benz, age 35, and her husband, Jesse, share their rural Hartley home with their two children. As you would likely guess, both youngsters attend HMS. Alayna, age 10, is a fifth grader and Hayden, age 8, is in third grade.
Family factors large in the time the new principal spends away from the job. “In my free time my family and I enjoy going to Lake Okoboji and traveling,” said Benz. “I also enjoy going to my kids’ events, sitting on my porch and reading and watching my kids run and play on the farm.”
That’s not to say the elementary school administrator has been shirking her responsibilities. To the contrary, “During the first 30 days I have spent a lot of time listening and learning,” indicated Benz. “Part of that listening has come from meeting with staff one-to-one and listening to their hopes and dreams as well as goals for growth. I have also spent time meeting with our professional development team to begin goal planning for the year as well as planning professional development. This week HMS is hosting the Virtual PLC Institute at HMS so the last few weeks have also been spent working with the other administrators as well as the instructional coaches to prepare for the event.”
A big way Benz is giving back to the communities is in doing her utmost to positively impact educators, and ultimately, the children they instruct. “My number one priority is working with teachers and all members of the learning community to provide every child with a positive, high-quality education that will prepare them for success in an ever-changing world,” declared the principal. “I believe to accomplish these goals we need to stay committed to the work we are doing with professional learning communities (PLCs) and I am committed to leading and modeling this process. When educators get better, students get better!”