On the first day of school, you’ll walk down the hall smelling the new school smell. You’ll see all of your old friends and teachers in their classrooms. But you may also see some new faces who have been added to the BHS family.
Ashley Saferight will be replacing Carolyn Beeler as guidance counselor and Konstantinos (Gus) Matheou will be replacing Hank Schulte in industrial arts.
When you go to the guidance office for a schedule change, you will see Saferight. She has a long to do list for the year.
“The biggest thing that I want to accomplish this year? Surviving the winter,” Saferight wrote in an email. “Because I am a Georgia girl, when it gets really cold, you are very likely to see me bundled up to a level that rivals Randy from A Christmas Story.”
“I am hoping to build relationships with the students, parents and faculty of BHS so I can be a valuable member of the BHS community,” Saferight wrote.
Saferight’s previous experiences reflect a wide range of interests outside of education. In 2003, she graduated from Georgia Southern University with a BA in music with a concentration in vocal performance. She then worked in marketing and public relations for six years. Saferight graduated from Georgia State University with a Master’s in school counseling in 2011.
You’ll see another new face in Schulte’s old room. There, you’ll find Konstantinos (Gus) Matheou. He’ll be teaching the digital photography, CAD and architectural drawing, and the new design and innovation classes.
“I like to think of myself as someone who is firm but fair. I’m pretty friendly, but I also have high expectations,” Matheou said.
Like Saferight, Matheou has experience outside of education. He graduated from Ohio State University with a major in chemical engineering and a minor in modern Greek with a focus in economics. He then attended Cleveland State where he earned a Master’s in curriculum and instruction with an endorsement in computer and technology.
Next, he spent some time as a chemical engineer, but decided it just wasn’t for him. Through his time tutoring kids in chemistry, physics and math, he realized that he really enjoyed teaching. He went through the alternative licensure program, which allowed him to transition into teaching with his prior degrees. Before coming to BHS, he was a chemistry teacher in Cleveland.
Saferight, Matheou and hundreds of other applicants had to go through an intense process before being hired for the job. First, they had to go through an extensive online application and upload transcripts. Next, the principal and other administrators screened applicants. About 15 were picked out of the other applicants to move on to the interviews. These candidates then went through a series of interviews with administrators, including the superintendent. About 5-10 people were picked to to have more intense interviews. Lastly, after passing all these tests, administrators contacted the finalists’ references.
These positions were first offered to current Beachwood teachers to see if any wanted to transfer, but none applied.
“The person(s) will be interviewed and perhaps recommended to the Board for approval,” wrote assistant superintendent Robert Hardis in an e-mail. “If there is no internal interest or the administration does not support the transfer of the internal candidate, we post the position externally on our website and several education job websites. We may post the position in the Cleveland Plain Dealer as well,”
Beeler and Schulte were a big part of the BHS community. Both BHS students and the newest faculty members’ first priority will be adjusting to one another.
