Meet Alison Shanor, Mountain Ridge Middle School Principal
It’s probably no surprise that Alison Shanor chose education as a career path since she comes from a family of educators. Her dad was a principal, her mom was a school counselor, and her aunts and uncles are all educators. Alison says she always wanted a job working with and supporting kids.
Like many principals, Alison followed a traditional path to get to her current position. She was a school counselor and dean at Bishop Machebeuf High School in Denver. From there she joined Bear Creek High School in Lakewood as an assistant principal for three years before serving as the school’s interim principal for one year. “It was an awesome experience that taught me a lot about being a principal,” said Alison.
Alison is thrilled to now serve as the principal at Mountain Ridge Middle School.
“Working in Douglas County has always been a goal since I’m raising my daughter here and it’s where I send her to school,” she said.
Alison is really proud of the relationships she’s worked hard to create with students.
“Seeing former students and having them come up to me and tell me that I impacted their lives positively in some way constantly reaffirms that this job makes a difference and I’m in the right place,” she said.
Alison is a native of Wyoming but has called Colorado home for 15 years. She brings a variety of experiences to her role in DCSD. “I’ve worked on Capitol Hill for a senator from Wyoming, I’ve managed the morning distribution of newspapers for a local paper in Wyoming and I began substitute teaching two years after high school in my hometown of Laramie,” she said. “Being in a classroom with students I had gone to school with only a few years before was an interesting experience!”
What Alison likes about working in public education is that every day is a new adventure and a new opportunity to do something good. Taking care of staff is important and Alison likes to send notes to her staff, pop into their classrooms, and chat with them in the parking lot to let them know that she sees their hard work and she values them.
When she needs to get energized at work, Alison grabs a Diet Coke and makes the rounds talking to students.
Outside of work, Alison enjoys spending time with her 8-year-old daughter who she says is incredibly hilarious. She enjoys walking her dog, practicing yoga, and playing golf.