A message from the Superintendent

May 18, 2012

Good afternoon,

Today I made several principal appointments for the 2012-13 school year. Instructional leadership is key to our students’ success, and our goal is to have the highest quality leaders in our buildings. I want to extend a warm welcome to these new principals.

As we approach the end of the school year, I also want to thank each of you for keeping your focus on our students. We have much to be proud of during this past school year. I am looking forward to working together with you in the next month and finishing the school year strong.

Thank you to the staff and families who served on interview committees. Appointments made today:

• Julie Cox will be the principal at Catharine Blaine K-8 School. She is now the interim assistant principal at Catharine Blaine. Previously she served in many educational positions, most recently as literary coach at Hmong International Academy in Minneapolis. She has also been in leadership roles at schools in Mumbai, India and Amman, Jordan. She was an elementary teacher at Viewlands Elementary from 1986-1993. She holds a Masters of Education, Language Arts, from Seattle Pacific University, a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education from Oregon State University and has her Washington State Administrative Certification.

• Katie Pearl will be principal at B.F. Day Elementary School. She is currently assistant principal at Mercer Middle School. She was also a house administrator at Mercer and has taught Special Education at Mercer and at Briggs Elementary in Bronx, New York. Ms. Pearl earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from Mercy College, specializing in elementary education and K-12 Special Education, and completed the Danforth Educational Leadership Program at the University of Washington.

• Helen Joung will be co-principal at Olympic Hills Elementary School joining current principal Zoe Jenkins, who will now be co-principal. She comes to Olympic Hills from Emerson Elementary in Everett, where she was assistant principal. Previously, she served as educational assistant and building math coach at Seahurst Elementary at Highline Schools, taught third grade in New Jersey, and was a clinical faculty member at Montclair State University in Mount Clair, New Jersey.

• Sandra Powell will be principal at Olympic View Elementary. She is now assistant principal at Nathan Hale High School. Prior to coming to Seattle, Ms. Powell was principal at Doris M. Johnson High School of Law and Leadership in Baltimore, Maryland. She brings more than 15 years of education experience in Maryland, New York and the Peoples Republic of China, and she was a Fullbright Scholar in Turkey. She holds a Master of Science in Education, School Administration and Supervision from Johns Hopkins University and earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She has Washington State Administrative Certification.

• Michelle Ota will be principal at Viewlands Elementary School. She comes to Viewlands from Salmon Bay K-8 where she has been assistant principal since 2007. Ms. Ota has been with Seattle Public Schools since 1989, serving as a professional development coordinator and a STAR Mentor. She has taught sixth grade language arts and social studies at TOPS, and middle school social studies in the Spectrum program at Washington Middle School. She holds a Master of Education degree and a principal certificate from Western Washington University.

• Melissa Schweitzer will be principal at Whittier Elementary. She is currently the assistant principal at Whitman Middle School. She previously worked as an instructional coach for the district for three years and as a Special Education teacher at Meany Middle School for five years. She has also been a Special Education teacher at the Seattle Children’s Home. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Special Education at the University of Evansville, Ms. Schweitzer completed her Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Colorado.

I also want to take a moment to thank outgoing principals at these schools: Heather Swanson, Susan McCloskey, Justin Baeder, Lisa Escobar and Linda Robinson. Thank you for your dedication to your students, staff and school communities.

Sincerely,



Susan

Susan Enfield, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools