Head of school finalists Michael Gard of Phoenix and local candidate Dreher Robertson will visit Animas High School this week to meet families and community members as part of the interview process for the lead role, according to a news release from the school.
The community is invited to meet the candidates and ask questions from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Animas High School, 22 Osprey Way.
Gard will visit the high school Wednesday, and Robertson will visit Thursday.
According to the release, the meet-and-greet will provide “an opportunity for families and community members to engage in an inclusive interview process that will allow all stakeholder groups to participate.”
The candidates will engage in conversations with students, faculty, staff members, FLC representatives and the board Wednesday and Thursday before the public Q&A, according to the release.
Gard holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, with an emphasis in biology education, from Northern Arizona University and master’s and doctorate degrees in educational administration and supervision from Arizona State University. He has a background in teaching at Arizona high schools and colleges.
He served as dean of students and in several assistant principal roles at Central High School in the Phoenix Union High School District from 2013 to 2021, and acted as the district’s talent director from 2021 to 2024, and as its transportation director since 2024.
Robertson holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Texas Tech University, a teacher education certification from Fort Lewis College and a master’s degree in educational administration from Lamar University. He served as assistant principal at Durango Big Picture High School from 2017 to 2021 and as an adviser and instructor at the school from 2011 to 2017.
He later served as principal of Vista Nueva High School in Aztec, New Mexico, and as director of San Juan College East from 2021 to 2024. He has worked as head of school at Colorado Timberline Academy since 2024 and has lived in the Durango area for more than a decade.
The AHS Search Committee will review all feedback from the Q&A and incorporate it into the comprehensive evaluation process, according to the release.
“As a public charter school founded by local parents and community members and supported by state and local tax dollars, we believe those who have invested so much in building and sustaining Animas High School should have a real voice in shaping its future leadership,” AHS Board President Maren Bicknell told The Durango Herald in a written statement. “ … Including these voices in the decision‑making process not only builds trust and transparency in our community but also ensures that our next Head of School is aligned with the values, aspirations and lived experiences of the community we serve. I could not imagine a Head of School search process that didn't involve our families and community.”
epond@durangoherald.com
