r The Nebo School Board of Education appointed Dr. David Rockwood as the Assistant Principal of Payson High for Nebo School District.
David earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology Teaching from Brigham Young University and his master’s degree in Educational Psychology and doctorate’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy, both from University of Utah. He received the Milton Bennion Scholarship in 2017-18.
Dr. Rockwood was the Dean of Students for the past two years at Springville Junior High and previously taught psychology at Payson High for 14 years. He coached track and field, cross country, and wrestling for Springville City Recreation. Dr. Rockwood served as an adjunct instructor at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University – Idaho.
Some awards include David being an Olympic Torchbearer in the 1996 Olympic Games, a Crystal Apple recipient at Payson High in 2012, and the current family champion of the board game Settlers of Catan. He also wrote a book titled, “Closing the Gap: Applied Sport Psychology for High School” that focuses on how to develop the mental skills that lead to excellence in performance.
An administrator said, “Dr. Rockwood helps struggling students and finds solutions to help them improve. He quickly establishes relationships with our staff and prescribes targeted interventions to staff, which helped improve teaching. He will be a tremendous asset to the leadership team in any school.”
“My life’s work is to empower each student with an excellent education so that each student is positioned for success in next-level learning, prepared to be a contributing citizen, and inspired to lead an ethical and virtuous life,” said Dr. Rockwood. “As an educator, I try to center my focus on what is best for the student as a whole person and for their learning. I believe in doing whatever it takes for kids to learn, which sometimes means thinking outside of the box. My bottom line is this: I work with kids.”
David is married to April, and they have five children with one on the way. He loves to read, write, and dive deeply into ideas. Learning broadly is his passion. He also enjoys hiking, camping, rock climbing, and rappelling.
David said, “I am grateful for the great leaders and mentors that I have been blessed to learn from, and for the skilled and compassionate colleagues that it has been a pleasure to serve side by side with. I am thrilled and humbled by the opportunity to serve the Payson High community again.”
