Not too long ago I was talking with Green Park Principal Mike Lambert, about how he and Sharpstein Principal Laure Quaresma were soon going to be the veteran principals for the city’s public elementary schools. In the last couple of years, the district’s six elementary schools have almost all received new principals.
This week, Quaresma was named the district’s new executive director of personnel, replacing retiring Deputy Superintendent Bill Jordan for the upcoming school year.
That means that in the next few weeks a new principal will be named for Sharpstein, and Lambert will be the longest serving principal in of the elementary schools.
New next year will also be Joshua Wolcott, who is leaving his assistant principal post at Garrison Middle School to take over leadership of Edison Elementary. He is replacing long-time principal Nancy Withycombe, who is retiring from education. New for the current school year was Kim Doepker at Blue Ridge Elementary, and Donna Painter at Berney Elementary. The previous year, Chris Gardea was in his first year leading Prospect Point Elementary.
Next year Walla Walla Public Schools will also have a new superintendent. And the school’s middle and high schools have principals in their first few years of leadership at those particular schools.
Although many of the posts are new to the particular employees, most of the administrators have long ties to the district.