District welcomes new superintendent, athletic director

by Laura Bednar

April 16 board of education meeting

Independence Local Schools continued its fresh start by hiring Kelli Cogan as superintendent and Brett Diehl as athletic director following the hiring of a new treasurer at the March board of education meeting.

Cogan comes to the district from Olmsted Falls School District, where she had been assistant superintendent since August 2013. She previously served as principal and district curriculum coordinator for Troy Intermediate School in Avon Lake. Before that, Cogan was a teacher, middle school principal and elementary school principal in Cleveland Heights-University Heights and an assistant principal for Twinsburg City Schools.

Cogan received her superintendent certificate from Cleveland State University, her Masters in Administration/Supervision from John Carroll University and her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Eastern Michigan University. She is president of the Ohio Middle Level Association and has presented at several education conferences. She lives in Rocky River with her husband and two children Christopher (21) and Michaela (19).

Darlene Stefanski, Independence High School teacher, said the district is getting a gem. “Kelli’s extensive classroom experience and administrative roles show a proven track record of effective educational leadership,” she said.

The district used search firm Finding Leaders to identify superintendent candidates and held community focus groups. There were 30 applicants, including the three Independence principals, according to board of education President Tony Avila.

“Her reputation precedes her as a curriculum and instruction guru,” said Avila. “When I talk to people around the education community … the common refrain I get is, ‘She’s really smart, you’re going to really like her, and you’re really lucky.’”

The board met with Cogan twice before hiring her. Avila said after the first meeting the board felt she was the one. The school principals and board offered congratulations and a welcome to Cogan. Independence Primary School Principal T.J. Ebert said Cogan was a mentor to him when they both worked for Troy Schools.

“I’m looking forward to it. I can’t wait to get started,” said Cogan. “When I left after my interview, I could see myself working with [the board].”

The board approved a three-year contract for Cogan from Aug. 1, 2024 through July 31, 2027.

Athletic director

Brett Diehl was hired as middle school and high school athletic director. He comes to Independence from the Olentangy Schools in Columbus where he served as athletic director, athletic manager and math teacher at the middle and high school levels.

Diehl holds a principal’s certificate from Muskingum University, a Masters of Science in Integrating Technology into the classroom from Walden University and a Bachelor of Science in AYA Math/Integrated Mathematics from Defiance College. In addition, Diehl has coached football, boys basketball, boys lacrosse and middle school track over the past 15 years.

Independence High Principal Mike Janatovich said there were 115 applicants for the position and he, along with parents, community members, coaches and administrators, interviewed 50 people.

He said Diehl was supportive of students and coaches and “was very innovative in bringing women’s wrestling down to Olentangy.”

“I’m excited for this opportunity,” said Diehl. “I came from a small school and high school so I know how important a school district is to a small community.”

The board approved Diehl’s two-year contract from Aug. 1, 2024 through July 31, 2026.

Spanish teachers

Board members voted to reduce the number of district Spanish teachers from two to one. The remaining teacher would be responsible for Spanish classes at the middle school and high school.

Several members of the Independence Education Association spoke about the reduction.

Carol Fowler, IHS Spanish teacher, said she has taught all levels of Spanish in the district for 42 years. She noted the benefits of learning Spanish at the high school level: Students learn easier at a younger age; the language is applicable to other careers; colleges expect to see foreign language coursework; and students can speak to individuals who primarily speak Spanish.

Lorie Corrigan, middle school Spanish teacher, talked with Interim Superintendent Tom Dreiling, who said research shows a solid foreign language program starts by introducing the curriculum in third grade. She added that potentially eliminating fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade foreign language classes could harm the future of the department.

IMS Principal Jamie Vanek helped implement the Spanish program at the fifth- and sixth-grade levels and Corrigan said, “We haven’t had enough time to see if both classes are having a positive impact on getting kids to sign up for Spanish I.”

Said Joe Durny, middle and high school athletic director, “It looks like a short-term financial gain but could also be a long-term loss for the district. We think there’s a way to show the community that we can work smarter with their money and also do what’s best for kids.”

He suggested the new superintendent, administrators and members of the foreign language department meet before reducing staff.

Board member Carrie Sears said, after two levies failed, the district had to start somewhere with cuts. “This is not a decision that was taken lightly,” she said.

When asked why this was the starting point, Avila said the options changed over the last few months. Finance and administrative team recommendations were factors in the decision. “It’s part of business unfortunately,” he said. “It’s not easy.” ∞

Photo: Kelli Cogan. Photo by Laura Bednar.