Q&A: Roseville Area High School Principal Jenny Loeck

With the 2010-11 school year close to winding down, Roseville Patch met with Jenny Loeck, principal at Roseville Area High School to find out how she got started education and what she thinks of her school.

Roseville Patch:  Tell us about your background.

Jenny Loeck:  I grew up in out state Minnesota. I graduated from East Grand Forks High School. My parents were farmers up there. I graduated from Bemidji State University with a degree in health and physical education. 

Then I was very privileged to be hired by Roseville Area High School as my first teaching job in 1997 where I taught health and physical education.

Roseville Patch: How long were you health and physical education teacher?

Loeck:  Seven years. Then in 2004, I was an assistant principal at Blaine High School for three years. Then, it was my privilege to come back to RAHS (Roseville Areas High School) where I served for two years as associate principal responsible for activities.  I have been principal of the high school for the past two years.

Roseville Patch: Why did you get into education?

Loeck:  I had always wanted to be a teacher. I have lots of aunts and uncles who are teachers.  And I love working with kids. I always grew up coaching and involved heavily in athletics. So, I had lots of positive role models.  I hadn’t put a lot of thinking into it being anything else.

Roseville Patch: What is it that you like best about education?

Loeck: Working with students, hands down. Students at ROS are incredibly talented, skilled, hardworking with  a very caring and involved community. I couldn’t imagine a better place to work.

Roseville Patch: What do you consider to be some of the key strengths of the high school?

Loeck: The biggest asset is our students, how wonderful they are and how much they add to our school community. The second strength would be our entire staff.  Not only the teachers but all the adults in the high school. We have a “student first approach” practice.

Another asset would be just the right of opportunities we offer students both curricular and extra-curricular. The kids are given a really safe and welcoming environment here and challenged academically.

I think lastly, we truly have all students in mind with our equity vision.

Roseville Patch: And what is the equity vision?

Loeck: It is that we care about all students regardless of any characteristics. (Specifically, the RAHS website says the school district is committed to ensuring an equitable and respectful educational experience for every student, family, and staff member, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ability, home or first language, religion, national origin, age or physical appearance.

Roseville Patch: What are the biggest challenges as a high school principal?

Loeck: I think we have to keep our eye on achievement and that would certainly be a challenge. And the race-based achievement gap. That is where our school goals and priorities are focused on at this time.  We want all students to feel prepared for college when they leave RAHS. We want them to be prepared.

Roseville Patch: In terms of being prepared, what is the graduation rate at RAHS?

Loeck: We are over 95 percent. This year, we had two RAHS graduates who were named Rhodes Scholars. We are very proud of that, in terms of the challenge and rigor at RAHS.

Roseville Patch: In recent years, there has been a lot of talk in education circles about raising student achievement. What do you think of initiatives such as No Child Left Behind, whether they are federal or state mandate?  Are they helpful or misguided?

Loeck: I think it is a challenge to abide by any not completely funded mandate. I think that is an additional pressure that kids are facing, especially at the high school level with high-stakes tests for graduation. But certainly I believe in the goal of No Child Left Behind in identifying our achievement gaps. I think without that legislation, we possibly that wouldn’t have been as large a priority for the nation.