Dr. Rebecca Godbey Hired As La Ballona Elementary Principal

Press release from the Culver City Unified School District:

July 2, 2020

The Culver City Unified School District has offered Dr. Rebecca Godbey the position of Principal of La Ballona Elementary School, pending Board of Education confirmation at its June 23 meeting.

Dr. Godbey is an experienced educator with an extensive history of accomplishments. Her 16 years of teaching experience includes Kindergarten, second, third, and fourth grades, giving her a broad understanding of the needs of children at various stages of development. As an administrator, she has served for six years as assistant principal in El Segundo Unified School District, and one year as principal of Emerson Elementary in Compton Unified, a K-8 school. Dr. Godbey has earned a master’s degree in Reading, and doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice.

Dr. Godbey’s educational philosophy highly values the whole-child approach, which stresses the importance of teaching social skills and emotional competencies alongside traditional academics. She believes it is vital that the classrooms of La Ballona be community spaces where all students feel valued and have a sense of belonging. Her goal is to build a thriving, inclusive school culture which is critical to maximizing students’ ability to develop into their best selves in the future.

Having successfully navigated the difficulties of being a principal during the difficult era of Covid-19 and widespread social protest, Dr. Godbey has a proven capacity to be a nimble and responsive leader during difficult times. She has a relentless commitment to ensuring La Ballona is a place where equity, growth mindset and joy fills the hallways (and virtual classrooms).

This press release was produced by Culver City Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author's own.