Alameda School Board Approves Otis Elementary School Principal

ALAMEDA, CA — The Board of Education for the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) last night approved the hiring of Tanya Harris as the new principal of Otis Elementary School.

Ms. Harris comes to AUSD from the City of Emeryville, where she has managed the Emeryville Child Development Center for more than two years. Prior to that, she held a number of positions with Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), including manager of OUSD's Transitional Kindergarten program, Regional Site Administrator (for six Child Development Centers), and Transition Specialist in Early Childhood Education.

A former elementary school teacher, Ms. Harris has also participated in a wide range of local, regional, and state committees, including the statewide Transitional Kindergarten Professional Learning Community and the Alameda County Transitional Kindergarten Task Force. She collaborated with Preschool California in the development of culturally relevant messaging for transitional kindergarteners and was a member of both the OUSD Programs for Exceptional Children Steering Committee and OUSD's African American Male Achievement Task Force.

• When Do Alameda Students Go Back to School?

"We were especially impressed with Ms. Harris's record of professional leadership and family engagement," said Superintendent Sean McPhetridge. "With her strong focus on early childhood education and collaboration with both parents and teachers, we think she's a natural fit for the Otis community."

Ms. Harris received her BA from CSU Long Beach. She earned both her administrative credential and Master's in Education from UC Berkeley.

• Alameda Unified Board of Education Approves New Hires, Appointments

“I am honored to have been chosen as principal at Otis,” Ms. Harris said. “I fell in love with the campus the moment that I stepped onto it. It is evident that the community of teachers, students, and families take great pride in their school, and I am so excited to join the work. I am also moved by the school and District's commitment to equity for all, and I have taken the pledge to confront all forms of hate, bigotry, and bullying.”

• Alameda Unified School District, Union Sign Tentative Agreement

— Announcement from Alameda Unified School District; Photo: Patch Archive