Eastgate Middle School principal named town’s top

By Ray Weikal

By one measure at least, Eastgate Middle School has one of the Kansas City area’s best educational administrators.

Principal Daniel Clemens was named Middle School Principal of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Missouri Principals Association April 16, according to a press release.

Clemens has skippered Eastgate Middle School for three years. In that time, he’s worked hard to connect with high-risk students, association President Robert Vogelaar said.

About 60 percent of Eastgate Middle School students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The district average is 37 percent.

“Clemens used ‘out of the box thinking’ to develop a support system for these special needs students at a particularly vulnerable time in their young lives,” Vogelaar said in the press release.

For his part, Clemens refused to take credit for the school’s success in helping its students.

“I was honored that my colleagues chose to give me this honor,” he said. “It has more to do with the quality of our staff at Eastgate.”

Under Clemens’ leadership, Eastgate Middle School has established several community partnerships that have enhanced the school’s impact, Vogelaar said. These include a deal with a local investment commission that helped add a family involvement coordinator to the school staff, and Police Athletic League Center for after-school activities with more than 100 students.

Clemens started working as an administrator for North Kansas City Schools in 2001 after a turn teaching physical education and coaching for the St. Joseph School District. He has 13 years of educational experience.

“My dad was a middle school principal for 20 years at least,” Clemens said. “It’s kind of a family thing, I guess.”

As principal at Crestview Elementary School, Clemens helped start a weekend food program. Now, Eastgate Middle School families benefit from the “Family Pack” and “Kids Cafe” programs, started in partnership with the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd and the Harvesters Community Food Network. Both programs were started to ensure that student nutritional needs are met.

Clemens was also cited for getting more middle school students across the district to take academically rigorous classes. In addition, he got a grant to train teachers how to use innovative techniques to teach English language learners.

Clemens was nominated for the honor by Chris McCann, one of his assistant principals. The school’s multiple ways of helping students probably made the difference, Clemens said.

“Our goal is to meet the needs of all our students,” he said.

Though the principal’s post is demanding, Clemens is satisfied. He laughed when asked if he ever has a quiet evening at home.

“My wife would say no,” Clemens said. “You end up spinning a lot of plates at the same time.”

Staff writer Ray Weikal can be reached at 389-6637 or rayweikal@npgco.com.