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New superintendent takes reins
New superintendent takes reinsThis story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Wednesday, September 13, 2006.By TITUS GEE Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union School District has a new superintendent, though the word "new" hardly seems to apply. Sandy Lyon has been a part of Antelope Valley education for the majority of the 18 years she has lived here. Raised in Apple Valley, Lyon did a two-year stint at a boarding school in England when her parents moved to Saudi Arabia. She went on to college and her folks stayed in the Middle East for a total of 10 years. Lyon started visiting the Antelope Valley when her parents moved to Elizabeth Lake. Soon she and her husband also moved to the far west side of the Valley. Lyon taught English for 10 years, including time at Antelope Valley High School and Piute Middle School. She served as principal of Nancy Cory Elementary School and co-principal of Amargosa Creek Middle School. Before taking the superintendent position, she had stepped away from school work for a while, but stayed in education with a company that sells education resources. That job kept her on the road most of the time, Lyon said, and she had begun to miss interacting with kids and having time at home with her husband and two sons. When the position at the Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes district became available, applying seemed a natural move. She got the job and took the reins from the district's Interim Superintendent John Hutak on Sept. 1. "I'm excited. It's a great place to be," she said. It is also a challenging place, with students well into their second week of classes on her first day on the job. School started Aug. 23. At this point, "I'm really learning the culture and the feel of the school," Lyon said. "I'm excited to see what road this staff is on and how to achieve those goals and keep moving forward." Then there is the double-hat role of serving as both the superintendent and principal of the district's single school at the same time. "I think that will be both fun and daunting at first," she said. Superintendents have to take the long view of things, while principals focus on the daily process of educating, she said. Lyon said the best thing about her new dual position is the opportunity to have nine years of input in the life of a child. "It's a good thing," she said. |