Seattle Public Schools

Personal Message

Greetings Mountain Lions! I am excited to be joining you at Meany Middle School this fall. I have been teaching middle school social studies for the last three years in Kent and I am looking forward to teaching students who are my neighbors in the area (I live in First Hill).

A little bit about Mr. Simpson: I grew up in Ohio and joined the US Army after graduating from high school. I was in stationed and Joint Base Lewis McCord (near Tacoma) and spent a year in Iraq. After my enlistment ended I decided to stay in the Pacific Northwest and co-founded a veterans’ resource center called Coffee Strong and received my Bachelors of Arts and Masters in Teaching at the Evergreen State College. My emphasis was on history and political economy and I am a huge history nerd. An interesting fact about me is that I am the first in my family to get my Bachelors degree, let alone a Masters degree!

When it comes to teaching history, I believe it is fundamental for students to not only study history for its anthropological lessons but to also view themselves as active and crucial participants in the making and writing of history. Prompted by my own experiences as an Iraq War veteran and later as a social justice activist, I have learned and continue to believe, that history is in the making every day. If the newest generations of students realize how history is relevant to present, students can become the world’s next and most influential leaders.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Education: University of Washington- Seattle, B.A. English Literature, Masters in Teaching; Seattle University- Principal Certification

How I got into Education: I believe that representation matters and that students should see themselves in leadership positions. I knew that I could lead a team to make social impact which lead me to education.

Hobbies: Netflix, Music, and Camping.

Personal Message

Hello! My name is Chanda E. Oatis and I am the proud Principal of Meany Middle School in the Seattle Public School District. I have held several roles in the Seattle School District; student, teacher, parent, house administrator, assistant principal, interim principal and principal. As a school leader, I strive to build authentic relationships with students, families and other educators, as we excel in our educational goals.

I have had the privilege and responsibility to teach and lead the development of the academic minds of the next generation and future society. Our society is a reflection of how we were educated in schools. As a leader, I have always been clear about our important charge. We are charged with creating educational opportunities that allow for ALL children to feel intelligent, valued, challenged and socially and emotionally supported every day. We are the students, the parents, the staff and the community. We will accomplish this by working collaboratively to ensure that all learning opportunities are inclusive and differentiated for our diverse learners, having high expectations for all, and planning engaging and culturally relevant instruction that is data-driven with clear goals and outcomes.

I have had the privilege and opportunity to serve as the principal of two Seattle Public Schools elementary schools and currently a middle school. Prior to that, I served as an instructional leader (House Administrator and Assistant Principal) at an SPS middle school. Nine years ago, when I was called upon to step into the role as an elementary school leader, I was honored and proud to be selected. I felt prepared to elevate to the next level of leadership in the district because my time spent at the middle school was purposely designed to prepare me to be a transformative leader. I really valued the experience of getting to know the elementary level in a more intimate way. Throughout my time in elementary school, my heart called out for the opportunity to serve at a secondary level again as a principal.

I have been a proud employee of the Seattle Public Schools for many years. I am a believer in this district. I started and finished my K-12 personal educational in the Seattle School District. I am very proud to say that my oldest daughter started and finished her K-12 education in the Seattle School District. She is now a graduate of Hampton University and a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. My second daughter is an amazing 1st grader who has conquered the world of online learning in Seattle Public Schools. My third daughter is a brilliant three-year old that loves to learn through song, dance and she is already an iPad genius. My passion as a parent additionally connects me to the importance of the parent voice and being a black parent during this time in this country.

With my leadership experience at two diverse comprehensive middle schools and my success with two different socioeconomic communities at the elementary level, l am excited for the opportunity to learn alongside this group to continue to grow my leadership skills and knowledge.

My name is Michael Parker, and I’m excited to enter my fourth year here at Meany! I'm starting my eighth year of teaching overall and my third year of teaching in the Seattle area. I’m originally from Pittsburgh, PA and started my teaching career in Durham, NC with Durham Public Schools.

My wife - Cory - and I moved to Seattle so Cory could begin doctoral work at the University of Washington. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with degrees in US History and Political Science and earned a Masters in Teaching degree from the University of Pittsburgh. I started teaching in Durham, NC and also taught in Renton, WA.

My hobbies include reading, watching basketball and going to the movies. I enjoy reading Haruki Murakami and Zadie Smith, rooting for the Philadelphia 76ers and the North Carolina Tar Heels and watching great movies in my spare time.

My name is Jershon Foyston and I am super excited about becoming a new member of the South Shore PK8 community. I look forward to building lasting relationships with the students and community members and helping the students find out who they are and how they will find their success. I look forward to working with the staff on furthering their pursuit of education, so they are best able to teach and serve the students and their unique needs. I know that I can feel successful in many ways.

I have been engaged in education in some way, my entire adult life. As a child, I remember my father as a school teacher working with at risk students. I can remember going to work with him and seeing him interact with his students. It was also fun to see his students recognize him outside of school. My brother and grew up being known as “Mr. Foyston’s Kids.” Now, I am Mr. Foyston.

I entered the teaching world as an instructional assistant in a special education behavioral classroom at Cedar Heights Middles school in Kent. This is where I got hoked on working with students. I then went to Washington State University and earned my degree in education with a focus on English. I taught at Federal Way High School for two years teaching English at all levels. While I was teaching at Federal Way High School, I was earning my certification in Special Education. Upon receiving my certification in Special Education, I took a job in the school district that I grew up in; the Kent School District. I worked at Meeker Middle School for 4 years as a Special Education teacher working with students with behavior and emotional disabilities. There, I worked to develop a program to help students learn how to take ownership of their lives and choices. I found great pride in the students I worked with and the growth they made.

It was at this time that I realized that to make a bigger impact on more than just my students, I would need to get into administration. I earned my master’s in leadership in Education from City University of Seattle. I worked as part of the equity team and the PBIS team. I have a passion for working with students that other people find difficult. With this degree and my new position at Meridian Middle school as a Behavior Interventionist I was able to work with a large body of students. I was able to help them learn how to take ownership of their decisions and to also look to the future with a lens of hope that they may not have had before.

The struggle that some of our students go through every day is very real, and helping them find a light in darkness is one of the greatest gifts I get doing the work that I do.

Outside of education, I have been married to my beautiful wife for the past ten years. We have three energetic children, boy and girl twins and a newborn. My life is very busy, but I am blessed for sure. I do enjoy the outdoors and exercise. I love sports and have been coaching them for almost twenty years.

I am the School Counselor for all Middle College HS students grades 9-12. I support our 9th and 10th graders in person at both our Seattle University and North Seattle College sites. I also support 11th and 12th grade full-time running start students.

I am ecstatic to be a part of the counseling team! I received a B.A. in Psychology and a M.Ed in School Counseling from the University of Mississippi. I was a middle school counselor in Mississippi for two years before moving to Seattle in June 2020. My husband and I fell in love with Seattle four years ago when we visited and got engaged at Keary Park. We are newlyweds with no kids and one cat who we adore!

I am a relentlessly positive presence and I value relationship building, authenticity, and openness. I am a helper by nature, and I believe a successful day is one in which I make a meaningful connection.

I follow the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) National Model which emphasizes social/emotional, academic, and career development. I am also a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) through the National Board for Certified Counselors.

I am so excited for a great year! I will be here to support our students and staff through whatever challenges come our way!