Veteran middle school principal Paula Logan is Canyons District’s new Director of Federal and State Programs.
Logan succeeds Wendy Dau, who earlier this month was appointed the new Superintendent of the Provo City School District.
Currently the Principal at Butler Middle School, Logan previously was Principal of Midvale Middle and Assistant Principal of Hillcrest High, two communities in Canyons District that are greatly impacted by socio-economic factors. Canyons’ Office of Federal and State Programs creates supports for students who are economically disadvantaged and culturally and linguistically diverse. The department also supports programs and activities for American Indian students, refugees, and migrants.
“I do love working with families who need just a little support to feel connected to their schools,” said Logan, who was appointed Tuesday night by the Canyons Board of Education. “This position will give me an opportunity to help make sure those connections become even stronger than they are right now.”
From her experience working in Midvale-area schools, Logan is well-versed in what it takes to lift up students who come to the school system speaking English as a second language or from homes with annual incomes that don’t allow for many, if any, extras. Her roster of responsibilities in her new post also includes ensuring services for students classified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
Hillcrest and Midvale Middle welcome teenage students who are living, no matter how temporarily, at The Road Home Family Resource Center, the homeless shelter for families located within CSD’s boundaries. CSD also has started building a Teen Resource Center at Jordan High, where Logan also once served for a short time.
A former Utah Middle School Principal of the Year, Logan is described by colleagues as detail-oriented, determined, and dedicated. As she starts work in her new post this summer, she plans to emphasize the importance of building bridges for families who may face barriers to accessing education and providing supports to schools so they are functioning at their highest capacity to help all students succeed.
“Federal programs offers the support to families who may feel disconnected,” said Logan, who also is a previous Apex Award winner for School Administrator of the Year. “I really want to make sure our schools are welcoming places for everyone who walks through our doors.”
The Board of Education also approved five other administrative appointments on Tuesday night.
- Otis J. “OJ” Gulley is hired as an Alta High Assistant Principal. He’s currently Principal at Evergreen Middle in Oregon.
- Bryan Rudes will become Principal of Butler Middle. He has previously had been announced as the new Principal at Bella Vista Elementary.
- Scott Dwyer is promoted to Assistant Principal at Butler Middle. He has been working as an Adaptive Physical Education Teacher in the Special Education Department.
- Angi Holden is promoted to Principal at Bella Vista Elementary. She has been serving as Assistant Principal at Glacier Hills to Bella Vista Elementary
- Halley Nelson will become Assistant Principal at Glacier Hills. She now is an AP at Butler Middle.
