Longtime Royal Oak educator Angela Ashburn came out of retirement in October to fill the position of ROHS Interim Principal following the retirement of Sharida Lewis. Ashburn will serve in her role through the 2023-24 school year and ease the transition once the position of principal has been filled.
Ashburn has had a long career in Royal Oak.
“Many years ago, when I started, I came to Royal Oak because my husband was from Royal Oak, and I had friends who taught here. I subbed here long-term, and I managed to get a job here,” she said.
Ashburn’s career in education includes years at several schools, including Churchill, Dondero, and Kimball, where she taught mostly science. She then made her transition to ROHS as an attendance officer, and later worked as an assistant principal. Ashburn also served as principal at Northwood Elementary for ten years. Most recently, she acted as the supervisor of the Addams Early Childhood Center until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and she retired
Though Ashburn has plenty of experience working in several capacities at the high school level, she acknowledges that changes have occurred since she previously worked at ROHS. She enjoys working with familiar faces again, but has also made an effort to introduce herself and connect with newer staff.
ROHS did not become an IB school until 2015, but Ashburn enjoys seeing the benefits the program provides students. She also noted impressive cosmetic changes to the school, including the remodeling of the cafeteria, new classroom furniture, and lockers, describing them as “major upgrades.”
Ashburn’s eight year-old therapy dog Coco has also made an appearance in the main office. Certified five years ago through Therapy Dogs International, Coco re-tests annually to maintain her certification. Ashburn and her furry sidekick do volunteer therapy work at senior centers and schools like ROHS.
In making her return, Ashburn is excited to be back at a school with some former elementary students.
“I love seeing the current seniors I had in kindergarten through 5th grade, so it’s great to see how they’ve changed and matured, and just seeing them and their families has been really nice,” she said.
Ashburn is just as excited to build relationships with students she has never met.
“I’ve gotten to know a lot of kids that I didn’t know from Northwood, so that’s been a lot of fun,” she said.
Students are at the top of Ashburn’s priorities.
“I will always work for what’s best for students as a whole,” she said. “School shouldn’t be just about what you’re doing in class, but all the extra social-emotional stuff going on here.”
Ashburn said the best way to contact her with questions is by email.
“I am available to listen, and I do listen. I might not agree with what you have to say, but that doesn’t matter,” she said. “I will always respond to students’ questions, but they should first contact the person directly involved. If it’s something with a teacher, [students] should contact the teacher. If it’s something with a student, they should contact the student, and if that doesn’t work, they can come see me.”