Former Dancer Now Leads Canyon School

By SUE PASCOE Staff Writer After the first week of school, Canyon Elementary’s new principal, Joyce Dara, was enthusiastic and thrilled about her opportunity to lead a school that has been around since 1894. ‘It’s been a little challenging,’ she said, ‘but it has been all fun and good.’ Dara cited the dedicated parent involvement at Canyon as a major reason for wanting to come to the charter school and replace Carol Henderson. ‘I enjoy interacting with the parents,’ she said. ‘Their involvement is critical to a child’s success.’ Dara, who was an assistant principal at Walgrove Elementary for three years (where she focused on special education), is clear about her leadership style: ‘I will be available and approachable, and a collaborator to any issues that may arise, always putting the needs and best interest of our students first.’ Although she didn’t officially start until August 12, Dara was at the school frequently over the summer, setting up her office and organizing, which enabled her to spend the first week on campus with parents and students. ‘I don’t want to be in my office talking; I want to spend time in the classroom,’ she said, explaining that her main role is to supervise instruction. ‘There’s no way to provide real feedback unless you’re in the classroom, and there’s no way to provide feedback to a parent unless you know their child.’ Dara grew up in Hicksville, New York, where her mom was a librarian and a teacher in the Wantaugh School District, and her father, in addition to being a New Yorker cartoonist, also taught art at Farmingdale College. After graduating from State University of New York at Buffalo with a degree in theater and dance, Dara began teaching undergraduate dance at that college for two years. But the lure of Broadway proved too strong and she moved to New York City, where she worked as a dancer. She was in the national tour of ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ and later toured with Joel Grey in ‘Cabaret.’ Appearing in national commercials and studying with famous tap teachers Gregory Hines and Henry LaTang, Dara also took classes, and taught dance. Eighteen years ago, she tired of the winter weather and moved to Hollywood, where she signed up to substitute teach in LAUSD schools. Her first assignment was a second-grade classroom in East L.A. ‘I fell in love that day with elementary teaching,’ said Dara, who joined LAUSD’s intern program to earn her certification. While working towards her credential, she subbed for almost a year at Broadway Elementary School. The following year, the principal hired her as a teacher, even though he didn’t have a classroom for her. He hoped that by October he would have enoughenrollment to give Dara her own class. While she was waiting, a fourth-grade opening came up at Charnock Elementary in Mar Vista. She interviewed and was hired that same day. Her first classroom had 37 students, with about half not knowing English. ‘That’s when theater training helped,’ Dara said. ‘I found it was the best way to communicate.’ As part of the credentialing program, she completed the UCLA Math Content program, which is specifically designed to help elementary teachers reach their students with hands-on learning. She felt the teaching method was so important that she wanted to share it with other teachers, which led her to become a math coach for Local District D (now Three), which she did for five years. Dara’s job as a coach meant she interacted on a different level with administrators, which piqued her interest in that field. She proceeded to complete a master’s program in administration from Cal State Northridge in 2005. Canyon is currently in the re-writing process for its charter renewal, which is providing a different kind of education for the first-year principal. ‘It’s a challenge, but at the same time it’s given me time to interact with teachers and learn more about the school,’ Dara said. She feels her ultimate challenge this year will be too little time to do everything she wants. ‘I like to give my heart and soul in everything I do,’ she said. ‘And there’s so much to do.’ Dara rises most mornings at 4:30 a.m. at her Westside residence and goes for an eight-mile run along the beach. ‘Sometimes you see the moon drop in the ocean.’ After leaving school, she likes to do yoga, spend time with her boyfriend, Todd Lesner (a coordinator for the magnet program in Westminster) and play with her 10-year-old calico cat Lulu, before finishing work she has brought home, and answering her e-mail. ‘I don’t wait more than one day to respond,’ Dara said. ‘It’s a pet peeve when people don’t get back to me. I hate it.’