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Nix leaving Excelsior
Feb 02, 2010 | 3505 views | 5 
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Excelsior Academy director Ernie Nix talks about the progress of the school’s building in this August 2009 file photo. Nix is retiring from the school after six months on Feb. 12.
- file / Maegan Burr
- file / Maegan Burr
Excelsior Academy director Ernie Nix is leaving the charter school he helped establish midway through its first school year.
In a statement released Monday, the Excelsior Academy board of trustees announced Nix’s retirement. His last day at the school will be Feb. 12, according to Ann Gubler, chairman of the board.
“This is my choice,” said Nix, 50. “I had not planned on this, but for personal and health reasons, I have looked at my retirement options and have been presented with the chance to spend more time with my family.”
Nix declined to provide more specifics on those reasons.
He was named director of the county’s first-ever charter school in January 2009 while he was principal of East Elementary. He originally planned to leave East when that school year ended, but ended up leaving in April 2009, citing the need to get a jump on setting up the new charter school. Prior to coming to the Tooele County School District, Nix served as a vice-principal at Northwest Middle school, and a principal at Jackson Elementary and Glendale Middle schools — all in Salt Lake City.
“Ernie had been talking with us about his plans,” said Gubler. “We were somewhat surprised, but we understand that the time was right for personal opportunities for him.” Nix’s retirement should not be interpreted as the board forcing him from his position, said Gubler.
“The board was satisfied with Nix’s performance and he will be greatly missed,” she said.
Gubler added that the board was very grateful for the service Nix rendered in helping to open Excelsior. She said being a charter school director is a very demanding position, since it requires one individual to serve as principal, superintendent and personnel director, in addition to performing many other duties.
Anna Loertscher, a member of the board of trustees, said that Nix’s timing in announcing his retirement will allow the school to have a new director in place before the end of the school year.
“It will be nice to have the new director in place, or at least announced before the end of the year,” said Loertscher. “That will give students an opportunity to get to know the new director before the end of the year. So when they come back in the fall, they will not need to get to know a new director.”
Excelsior Academy’s business management company, Salt Lake based-Charter Solutions, will provide interim administrative staff until the school can find a permanent replacement for Nix, according to Gubler.
The school’s board of trustees will begin the process of hiring by listing the position on several Web sites that are used for charter school staffing as well as advertising to the general public. A timetable for applications and interviewing has not been established yet, Gubler said.
If the board selects an administrator who is under contract until the end of the school year, Excelsior could run the remainder of the year with interim leadership, Gubler added.
At the time he left East for Excelsior, Nix said, “I love the students and teachers here at East, but I could not pass up this opportunity to build an entire school from the ground up. It is a dream come true. Our public schools do a good job here in Tooele. However, a charter school offers several advantages — there is no bureaucracy at the district level, the curriculum is more focused, and we will be able to have caps on class size.”
Now, Nix insists that opinion hasn’t changed. “The charter school system really empowers teachers and parents,” Nix said. “My relationship with the board and parents has been wonderful. It was a great opportunity and leaving has been a difficult decision to make. I’m not bailing out early. I love the teachers and the kids. If I did not think the kids would be well taken care of I would not be doing this. After 25 years though, it is time for a change.”
The board of trustees has scheduled a retirement party for Nix to be held Feb. 10 at the school from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Tim Gillie: tgillie@tooeletranscript.com
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I've actually read Excelsior's Charter and looked at proposed budgets. I attended an informational meeting prior to the lottery. Where are the 4 hour aides in each classroom? Where are the funds for teachers to use? Where are the BOOKS for children to read in their classrooms? Where are the very basic materials for the staff to perform their jobs utilizing the currricula that they were given?
I've tried to locate minutes of board meetings but they are no where to be found after June which was even before the school was finished. Board members have gone into classes to tell how teachers are to teach because their individual child doesn't have the skills being taught at the younger grades.
Where are the volunteers on the playground? The volunteers before school? Notably absent requiring staff to pick up the pieces. What other profession requires it's members to have a 15 minute lunch?
Where is the character of the board to fail to live up to their promises to parents and staff? Rhetoric is just that. Actions bely words. I too was there at the opening, we obviously saw different things. I saw a few dedicated individuals who were not on the board of trustees.
Gossip? No, but rather fact. Words matter and all to often they carry no weight behind them at Excelsior.
They have outsourced the administration.... they have moaned about straying from their course. I'll be curious to see the staff turnover ration at the end of the year.
History teaches us to learn from our mistakes. But without accepting responsibility, those mistakes are more likely than not to occur again.
I am not saying the school is perfect or that things couldn't be run better, it's just hard for me to criticize people when I don't know the WHOLE story. That's assuming the worst and gossip mongering.
Parents were noticeably absent during the move in phase requiring staff to unload semis and put together desks rather than preparing classrooms.
The director is the face of the school. Unfortunately the Board of Trustees reneged on their commitment by October. What does that say about their character? And who would choose to work for ones who's actions bely their words.
I'd like to know the cause of these "health and family reasons". I'm betting that those in true control had a direct impact. Besides the director leaving, the school has gone through two curriculum directors in less than 100 days. These are red flags to anyone and should concern parents.
It has little to do with conspiracy, but rather direct actions. Do not actions speak louder than words?