Palo Alto School District Announces New Pre-K Principal

News from Palo Alto Unified School District:

Superintendent Glenn “Max” McGee is pleased to announce the appointment of the new Pre-K Principal, Dawn Yoshinaga, to oversee the broad variety of successful early child development programs provided by PAUSD. The appointment will be presented to the Board of Education at the May 26, 2015, Board meeting. Ms. Yoshinaga replaces Mrs. Sharon Keplinger who is retiring at the end of the 2014-2015 school year after over 20 years of service.

“It is truly an honor to become part of the Palo Alto community. Educating our youngest minds is quite a privilege, and I am looking forward to continuing the tradition of excellence in early childhood education that has been nurtured by the parents, teachers, and staff at Greendell. I am ecstatic for this wonderful opportunity,” shared Ms. Yoshinaga.

Ms. Yoshinaga joins PAUSD from the Saratoga Union School District in Saratoga, CA, where she has served as the district’s School Psychologist since 1999. She has also implemented multiple site-based duties such as facilitating the Smarter Balanced Assessments, professional development on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the School Site Council, Student Study Teams, and Student Council engagement groups as an interim principal at Argonaut Elementary School.

Ms. Yoshinaga has deep experience in serving students and families receiving Special Education services and has collaborated with teachers and families to create transitional programs between schooling levels to accommodate the unique needs of students during these times of change.

Also, she has led district efforts in training staff in accommodations, social-emotional learning, interventions, CCSS implementation, and English Language Learner support systems. She completed her BS in Psychology at the University of California in Santa Cruz, her Masters of Science in Clinical Child/School Psychology at California State University East Bay, and her Master of Arts in Educational Leadership at Santa Clara University.

Dr. McGee commented, “Supporting and teaching our youngest students is an important responsibility, and I believe Ms. Yoshinaga will maintain and grow the wonderful programs at Greendell with skill, innovation, and community support. Her background in child psychology and social-emotional development, along with her expertise in developing teams of professionals focused on supporting learners, will provide a lasting foundation for the future success of all our students.”

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