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Mike Melton, who has been principal of Hillview Middle School in Menlo Park since July 2009, announced Wednesday that he plans to retire effective June 30, 2012.

“After nearly four decades in education and with great contemplation, I have decided it is time for me to retire,” he said in a Jan. 11 email to the Hillview community. “My wife, Nancy, has been waiting 38 years to have me home, and we are both extremely excited about the new adventures that lie before us.”

Mr. Melton was an administrator for more than 20 years, and was a leader in the California Alliance for Middle Schools, an organization that investigates best educational practices for middle school education.

The Association of California School Administrators once named Mr. Melton “Placer County Administrator of the Year” and Northern California’s Administrator of the Year.

Prior to his years as a school administrator, he spent several years as a drama, band and choral music teacher.

Before becoming Hillview’s principal, he was principal of Granite Oaks Middle School in the Sunset-Whitney area of the Rocklin Unified School District.

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2 Comments

  1. I believe history will show that Mike served a valuable role bridging two eras in Hillview’s history. His academy work exploring how Hillview can be an effective, but very populous school, yet maintain a focus on individual children, may prove invaluable. Three years of construction cannot have been easy — both overseeing the construction and running a school on half the physical space. Finally, in bridging the Mike Moore/Ken Ranella period with the new regime, I think he’s taken a lot of unavoidable lumps gracefully.

    My own favorite memories of Mike will be watching him chatting with a group of kids outside dances, while keeping an eye out for escapees (not allowed) or outsiders (also not allowed). He reminded me of the very best kind of beat cop — a safe haven.

  2. Ghysels no doubt told him he has not the right person on the bus, so threw him under the bus. No doubt ‘yes’ man a crony will take his place.

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