Principal Tina Ziegler announced to staff on the morning of March 23 that she would be retiring, leaving Westview after five years. The students, the teachers, and the staff of The Nexus will greatly miss her, as she bridged the gap between student and administrator, and set a wonderful example of what it means to lead by doing. 

Her compassion for the students at Westview is evident in the way that she conducts herself on campus. She values people and recognizes that we all have different strengths and needs. No matter who a person is, she looks for the good in them. She doesn’t rush to judge, but instead seeks to understand.

Though Ziegler’s kindness is irreplaceable, The Nexus acknowledges that we will need to look ahead towards the appointment of our next principal.

Ziegler announced her retirement early enough in the year to give the district plenty of time to choose a qualified candidate to serve next year. Something that Ziegler has always emphasized as a principal is the idea of shared decision-making. One of a principal’s primary jobs is to make decisions for their school site that benefit the community. Ziegler has always made an effort to do this in a way that involves students, staff, and parents alike by compiling their opinions through surveys, collaborating with them in think tanks, and making sure their voices are heard in panels and forums. It is important for our next principal to continue this trend, as direct community involvement is always more insightful than decision-making based on assumptions or the best interests of a small group of people. 

The Nexus hopes our next principal is visible and accessible to the student body. Westview deserves someone who will foster trust among students and staff. Throughout Ziegler’s five years as the principal of Westview, she could often be found walking through classrooms, in the quad at lunch, or working at the crosswalk after school. The ability to say hello to an administrator, ask them a question face-to-face, or even just have them know your name is an invaluable asset and makes campus feel like a community rather than a hierarchy.

Ziegler visits the ASB classroom every Wednesday morning during their business meetings, opening the floor to questions and discussions about topics that concern students. Through these interactions, things like bringing menstrual products to the women’s restroom, starting a recycling program on campus, and adding murals to buildings were brought into reality. She doesn’t shy away from the challenges that are inevitable in a high school setting, and we need that trait to carry over to our next principal.

On a similar note, we hope that transparency is a top priority for our next principal. A principal is the link who connects the district to the students. From the start, the principal is chosen by the school district, and they continue to collaborate with each other. It is crucial that our next principal conveys district and site decisions to the students in a digestible way, while also explaining the reasons behind them. 

Principal Ziegler’s presence on campus has been a source of strength, a beacon of hope, and a voice in the dark during the uncertainty of the Covid quarantine. She has gone above and beyond what is expected of an administrator, and her absence will be felt on campus. 

The Nexus has confidence that the district will choose a new principal who will carry on the legacy that Ziegler leaves behind.