For many years, Mooresville Schools has trusted Randy Taylor as superintendent. On Dec. 12, he went on to retire. As of Jan. 1, former Associate Superintendent, Dr. Jake Allen has resumed the role of Superintendent. Take a closer look on Dr. Allen’s new establishment and get an inside look on his day to day basis so far this year.
Dr. Allen has worked with Mooresville Schools for 20 years. In 2004, he began teaching at Mooresville High School. He went on to graduate from Indiana University’s Urban Principal Program in 2009. It was during this year he began his first role in administration at Paul Hadley Middle School. He was continued to be promoted to Associate Superintendent in 2020. Since 2015, Dr. Allen has served on the Indiana University School of Education Alumni Board of Directors. There is much more to say about this brilliant man and his accomplishments throughout his career, but lets take a closer look at his current status.
“I absolutely love the new position as it gives me many different opportunities to support our teachers and students.” Many challenges that we face revolve around providing students and staff with resources and opportunities. As the superintendent, I work with district leaders to identify areas of need and improvement and then allocate resources in that ‘direction.’ For example, we want to be able to offer a wide range of academic opportunities to our students, which sometimes means adding new teachers, instructional materials, and finding ‘new’ spaces. Each of these aspects can be very challenging and requires collaboration and creativity – but the payoff is always well worth the hard work,” Dr. Allen said.
His biggest decisions in the first two weeks have been weather related. It is always a tough decision when considering delaying or closing schools – as they feel that the best place for the students to be is here learning. He has also implemented a mentoring program for many of the administrators, including himself.
“It has been extremely fun…even when it’s hard. One of the aspects of the job that I love so much is problem solving – and there is no shortage of problems to solve when you are a superintendent,” Dr. Allen said.
Kelly Patel along with a few other English teachers, taught with him, and shared their feedback.
“He was always so infectious with his updated personality, and to work with him was a lot of fun,” English teacher Kelly Patel said.
Melanie Kassen also taught English with Dr. Allen.
“He was always super nice when he worked here in the English department with us. He always carried a smile and was fun to teach with. I feel like the title superintendent fits him very well. He is a a great combination of comfortable and easy going when it comes to bringing up any concerns school related,” English teacher Melanie Kassen said.
He shares that his greatest strengths include building relationships, both within the school community and outside of the school community. Working together to provide students with the best education possible is what motivates him to be the best superintendent that he can be.
“I feel that one of the best ways to grow is to learn from others…and we are committed to continuous growth as individuals and leaders,” Dr. Allen said.
