Former BYU-Idaho faculty member Karla LaOrange is now the superintendent for Idaho Falls School District 91.
This is her first year as the school district’s superintendent, but LaOrange is no stranger to the education business, as she has been working with students since the 1980s and has loved every second of it.
“Really it’s because educators change lives,” LaOrange said in an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio. “It just fits right in with everything that I believe. And it’s where I can go and help other people reach their potential and become more than they really thought possible. And that’s so rewarding to me.”
Now as the superintendent of the Idaho Falls School District, she is using what she has learned in her years of education experience, especially as a faculty member at BYU-Idaho, to better fulfill her duties within the district.
“I think that that’s where my time at BYU-Idaho was particularly helpful. Coming back to a school district, I really understand and see some of the challenges that teachers face in trying to teach different students with different learning needs,” LaOrange said. “I understand the challenges of teaching and the pressures that come with teaching. And I think that’s helped me have more of an educator’s view.”
With that educator’s view, LaOrange is determined to create an environment that boosts the teacher retention rate in the district, as they gem state has struggled with teacher retention in the past.
“Teaching is a very demanding and stressful job,” LaOrange said. “Teachers are observed by parents and community members, and we want them to know that we’re there to support and help them in their teaching, but that we also care about them as a person. And so, we’re trying to make sure that we address their needs as an educator and as a person.”
As the school year continues, Superintendent LaOrange says she’ll work to improve student’s education and keep staff and students happy and successful.