Olympia High School is excited to welcome several new staff members this year who have transitioned from various professions. They are here to support and guide both students and teachers on their path to success.  Let’s welcome these new staff members and learn more about their journey to Olympia!

Jordan Crawford, Attendance Dean

What was your career before coming to Olympia, and how long did you work there?

“Before I became an Attendance Dean here at Olympia, I earned a degree in Business Administration,” Jordan said. “ I was able to use that when I first taught at Evans High School in 2020 as a Business Education teacher.”

What differences have you noticed between your current  role as an Attendance Dean and your previous role as a teacher? 

“There are many differences between being an Attendance Dean at Olympia as compared to being a teacher back at Evans,” Crawford noted. “With being a teacher, you focus more on teaching specific topics and assignments. You also interact with students and get to know them and their families, ” she replied. “With being an Attendance Dean, you have a bigger impact in  helping students outside of the classroom. You are assuring more students are attending school and learning  in class, so that at the end, they can graduate. That is my end goal, to help them.”

What motivated you to join Olympia this year and what are some opportunities or experiences you hope to create for students and teachers?

“What made me want to work at Olympia was  seeing the potential opportunities that could come with this position. When I saw that there was a spot open for being an Attendance Dean I knew it was a chance I wanted to pursue,” Crawford answered. “Some moments or opportunities that I hope to create at Olympia is a great support system for students at school. I would love to watch them graduate [from] this school knowing what they’ll do in the future,” she stated. “The first part of that step is going to school, and motivating students to come to campus, they are able to do that, and I am able to support them and hold them accountable.”

How would you try to contribute to Olympia? 

Crawford replied “I would contribute to Olympia by focusing on keeping students out of trouble. This means reducing tardiness and addressing truancy, which occurs when a student skips or stays away from school for a period of time,” she added. “I plan to address these issues by holding students accountable and supporting them through building strong relationships. This approach will also help students graduate on time.”

What are your goals that you hope to reach here at Olympia?

“My goals at Olympia are closely aligned with what I hope to contribute.. I aim to reduce tardiness on campus and support students in achieving this goal, as frequent tardiness can hinder their learning and progress towards graduation. Overall, I would love to support students in any way possible.”

Heather Jackson-Reed, OTC correspondent

What was your career before being here at Olympia, How long did you work there?

Heather Jackson-Reed replied, “Before coming to Olympia, I worked with the District office. I have been working  with Orange County Public Schools for 28 years in various positions.” “I have worked with Career and Technical Education as a teacher, career specialist, post-secondary specialist and an administrator.”

What is  the difference between this career and the one you had prior?

“The main difference in this career move is that I am now working more directly with students, allowing me to have a greater impact on their futures. I truly enjoy collaborating with the students, staff and administration.”

What made you want to work at Olympia this year? What opportunities do you hope to create with students and teachers?

“I wanted to return to a school campus because I enjoy working with students..At Olympia, I hope to create opportunities for students to learn more about the benefits of Career and Technical Education as well as participate in our programs.”

How do you plan to contribute to Olympia? What are your goals here?

“I will try to contribute my passion and skill sets to Olympia,” she stated. “My goal is to see more students take advantage of the opportunities that our Career and Technical Education department has to offer, both on campus and off campus.”