Three New Principals for Hillsboro Elementary Schools

Three of the elementary schools in the Hillsboro School District will have new principals, the district announced Wednesday.

Farmington View, W.L. Henry, and Moobery will all have new principals - Nabil Zerizef, Erika Pierce, and Pete Muilenburg, respectively - while Glencoe High School is looking for a new assistant principal.

Karen Shea is leaving her position at Glencoe to pursue other opportunities, the district said.

The three new principals start their new jobs July 1st.

From the District about the new principals:

• Pete Muilenburg, currently an assistant principal at Hilhi, has been selected as the new principal of Mooberry Elementary School, subsequent to Brian Haats' move to the Human Resources department. Mr. Muilenburg began his educational career in 2001 as a 7th grade social studies teacher at College Place Middle School in Lynwood, Washington. After four years there, he relocated to become a high school language arts teacher and softball coach at the American College of Sophia in Bulgaria. Two years later, he moved to the Canadian International School of Hong Kong and spent the following two years teaching middle school social studies, language arts, and drama, and coaching boys basketball. In 2009, he returned to the States and took a job as a 9th grade social studies teacher at Marist High School in Eugene. He then spent 2011-12 at the International School of Beaverton before joining Century High School's team as a social studies teacher in 2012. In 2013, he assumed his current position at Hilhi. Mr. Muilenburg feels his future in education resides at the elementary level, as he wants to positively impact students' trajectory from the moment they enter the school system. He is bilingual in English and Spanish and is eager to use his language, interpersonal, and leadership skills to continue the great work currently under way at Mooberry.
• Erika Pierce, current counselor at W.L. Henry Elementary School, has been selected as the new principal of Minter Bridge Elementary School, subsequent to Mary Mendez's move to South Meadows Middle School. Ms. Pierce began her educational career in 1996 as a 6th grade teacher at Meadowbrook Intermediate School in College Place, Washington. After four years there, she took a job in the Hillsboro School District as the counselor at Groner Elementary School (now Groner K-8). In 2002, she became the counselor at Imlay Elementary School (she spent the 2003-04 school year as a 5th grade teacher there), and in 2008 she made the move to W.L. Henry. This school year, Ms. Pierce is officially spending half her time as the school's counselor and half as its PLC coach. As such, she has facilitated PLCs using data to help improve instruction and, ultimately, to increase students' academic performance. At Henry, Ms. Pierce started a weekly food backpack project for students, partnered with the Oregon Food Bank to implement a school-based food bank, and wrote a successful grant for a kindergarten readiness program: "Avanza Kinder"/"Kinder Quick Start." She has a passion for equity, classroom guidance, and community-building, and is a collaborative leader.
• Nabil Zerizef, current multimedia professional development teacher on special assignment, has been selected as the new principal of Farmington View Elementary School, subsequent to Roger Will's move to Brown Middle School. Mr. Zerizef began his educational career as a classroom teacher at W.L. Henry Elementary School in 2008. During his four years there, he led professional development on Systematic English Language Development, Positive Behavior Intervention Systems, and technology integration. He was also a member of the school's Leadership and Equity teams. He left the District for the 2012-13 school year to teach 4th grade in Gladstone, Oregon, and then returned to Hillsboro in 2013 to assume his current position. In this role, he regularly facilitates professional development for teachers and principals with a focus on technology, helped guide the high school math study team through a district-wide digital conversion, and has been an administrative substitute. This school year, he served as the temporary assistant principal at Poynter Middle School from February through May. Mr. Zerizef's technological skills, appreciation for and understanding of the STEM fields and Next Generation Science Standards, and belief in the capabilities of all students make him an excellent fit for Farmington View.