— New superintendents at four area schools say they plan to meet the challenges of implementing new curricula under tight budgets.

Kaylin Coody started July 2 as Hilldale superintendent after 26 years in Bixby.

Sharon Herrington started July 2 at Haskell after serving as assistant Guthrie superintendent.

Marilyn Dewoody started her job as Hulbert superintendent June 18 after 22 years at Fort Gibson Schools. She most recently was special services director.

Former Vian High School Principal David Vinson started last month as an interim superintendent at Warner and took the reins July 2.

Coody said Hilldale “seems like a very strong school.”

“It’s a good size,” Coody said. “The staff has been great, the school board has been wonderful.”

Coody said the biggest challenge Hilldale faces is to implement the Common Core Curriculum while getting through cuts in state education allocations. The Common Core Curriculum is considered a more rigorous curriculum than one the state had been using. Schools must implement the curriculum by 2014.

She said she also wants to help the schools grow.

“The facilities are pretty much out of space here,” she said.

Before coming to Hilldale, Coody was assistant Bixby superintendent for about four years.

Herrington said Haskell, like other schools, is challenged by “academics, a global economy and global competition, plus getting kids prepared for society.”

She said she had been working with instituting Guthrie’s Common Core Curriculum for two years.

“Now, in Haskell, we’re doing a lot,” she said. “Teachers are going through professional development. We will have a new math program at the elementary school.”

A native of Cheyenne in western Oklahoma, Herrington spent five years as assistant superintendent at Guthrie. She also has served at Norman, Moore and Edmond. She spent 18 years teaching hearing impaired students.

She said she was attracted to Haskell because of its size.

“It’s in a smaller, rural atmosphere,” she said.

Dewoody said she was attracted to Hulbert by the vision of the school board and school officials. She said she also wants to continue work started by her predecessor, David Wilkins.

“He had begun work on curriculum alignment,” Dewoody said, adding that student test scores at Hulbert have been improving.

“I want to continue in that growth,” she said. “The school principals are great people. Both are strong curriculum people.”

Dewoody taught math at Muskogee High School and Fort Gibson before getting into school administration.

Vinson said he spent a month working with retiring Warner Superintendent Monte Madewell. He said he has started working with teachers on the Common Core Curriculum.



Reach Cathy Spaulding at (918) 684-2928 or cspaulding@muskogeephoenix.com.

Meet the new superintendents

Kaylin Coody

JOB: Hilldale School Superintendent.

HOMETOWN: Jenks.

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree, University of Oklahoma; Master’s degree, University of Tulsa, Doctorate; Oklahoma State University.

FAMILY: Husband, Reed; two children; two grandchildren.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant.

HOBBIES: Travel, gardening.

Sharon Herrington

JOB: Hulbert School Superintendent.

HOMETOWN: Cheyenne.

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s from University of Science & Arts; Master’s Oklahoma State University; administrator classes at University of Central Oklahoma.

FAMILY: Husband, Richard; three children; two grandchildren.

CHURCH: Oakdale Baptist.

HOBBIES: Gardening, reading.



Marilyn Dewoody

JOB: Hulbert School Superintendent.

HOMETOWN: Durant.

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Northeastern State University, doctorate at University of Oklahoma.

FAMILY: Husband, Bob; three children; one grandchild.

CHURCH: Fellowship Bible Church, Fort Gibson.

HOBBIES: Reading, being with grandchildren.



David Vinson

JOB: Warner Schools Superintendent.

HOMETOWN: Wagoner.

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree, Northeastern State University; Master in Educational Leadership, Southern Nazarene University.

FAMILY: Wife, Jennifer, two children.

CHURCH: First Baptist Church.

HOBBIES: Spending time with children.