By Kristine Thomas
An average high school student, Benjamin Merrill’s motivation stems from people’s willingness to accept his mediocrity.
“I truly wish that I would have had someone push me more academically and expect more out of me,” Merrill said.
Believing students are capable of achieving great things, he said it everyone’s job in a community – not just the teachers and administrators – to help students realize their potential.
With a passion for education and the work experience, Mount Angel School District officials decided Merrill has what it takes to help Kennedy High School to its next level of academic achievement.
Merrill was recently chosen as the next principal of Kennedy High School in Mount Angel. He will replace Troy Stoops, who will become the superintendent of the Mount Angel School District in July. Merrill is currently the junior and senior high school principal and superintendent in the Notus School District in Idaho.
Stoops said Merrill is a “perfect fit” for Kennedy High School.
“His experience and high energy approach to teaching and learning will be a great compliment to the Kennedy staff and students,” Stoops said.
Growing up on a ranch in Baker City, Merrill said he greatly admired his teachers and coaches in high school. In college, he decided he wanted a profession that he would enjoy regardless of how much money he made.
“I knew I loved my time in school, participating in sports and working with kids,” he said. “Choosing the field of education for me was very easy and natural.”
Merrill, 31, received his bachelor’s degree from Boise State University, his master’s degree from Grand Canyon University in Arizona and his educational administration degree from Capella University in Minnesota. He will begin his Ph.D comprehensive exams and dissertation this fall.
He and his wife, Jenny, have an almost 2-year-old daughter, Kaylee. A football coach, he loves watching and participating in anything sports related.
Describing himself as “extremely motivated and driven, Merrill is a “get it done” type person.
“I am intensely passionate in what I do,” he said. “I have fun while I am at work and enjoy having people around me that do as well.”
When he came to the Notus School District in 2008, Merrill said the district had never been known for its academics. The schools weren’t meeting the adequate yearly progress goals outlined by No Child Left Behind.
“Once I was hired as principal at Notus, we set a goal that we were going to be a model for small schools in Idaho,” he said, adding he wanted to change people’s perception of Notus schools.
To achieve the No Child Left Behind requirements, he asked the teachers to “put their noses down and get to work.”
In 2009 and 2010, Notus High School achieved average yearly progress.
“The successes we achieved at Notus are entirely due to the expectations we placed upon our teachers and the accountability we held them to,” Merrill said. “The teachers were ready for change and we convinced them that we were going to operate differently and get results.”
Within one year of the changes, Notus schools made NCLB AYP, and within three years they won the small school academic state championship in Idaho.
Believing the best indicator of student success is the quality of the teacher, Merrill said the most significant change he made to improve the Notus School District was the implementation of “The Charlotte Danielson,” teacher evaluation model. Teachers are asked to provide artifacts or proof to prove their levels of performance instead of relying on one or two principal observations.
“It truly has revolutionized how teachers view their own performance in my district. It has forced teachers to analyze the quality of the product they are putting out in their classrooms,” he said. “Administrators work with staff in a more realistic and accurate assessment of actual performance.”
An advocate for small, rural schools, Merrill started an online learning program at Notus High School. He is also an online principal for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy and has spoken nationally and written for educational magazines about the program he developed in Idaho.
Based on its size and tight finances, Merrill said Notus High School was limited in the scope of courses being offered compared to larger, neighboring school districts.
“We were losing students to these larger ‘Wal-Mart’ type schools. We needed to retain and attract new students and show them that the size of a school has less to do with its quality than what takes place within its four walls,” he said.
Merrill developed a “school within a school” concept that allowed students to take online courses within their regular school day to enrich their schedule, expand their opportunities and challenge their learning.
“At Notus we can offer the same number of classes if not more than our neighboring districts which have five times more teachers than we do,” he said. “We leveraged our resources and developed a model for small schools across the state.”
Stoops said Merrill has high expectations and will be an excellent role model for students and staff.
“He is committed to providing a level of leadership that will challenge all students and staff to be the best they can be,” Stoops said. “He is great communicator and an expert with technology in education, grant writing, and advocating for education. He will certainly have a positive impact at Kennedy High School.”
Merrill’s education philosophy is simple – work hard. He believes regardless of a student’s ability, hard work will make them reach their potential.
“Growing up on a ranch, I learned quickly that without hard work, little is gained,” he said. “I bring that belief to work with me each day.”
Realizing it is his responsibility to model a work ethic others will follow, he is the first to arrive and frequently last to leave.
“I believe strongly that a person’s value is parallel to their willingness to work,” he said. “Nothing worth having comes easy. Everything I have ever achieved came as a result of working my tail off. I believe that through hard work in and out of the classroom, students will achieve success and contribute greatly to the community.”
