Clover Park School District Names Four New Elementary Principals

The Clover Park School District will welcome four new elementary-school principals for the 2011-12 school year.

Superintendent Debbie LeBeau said it's unusual to have more than a couple of principal openings at the same time. Four leaders will replace nearly a quarter of the district's 17 elementary schools.

“There are natural transitions—people moving with their families,” she said. “This year, we had two retirements, one principal who made a job change and another who passed away.”

LeBeau said, now that new principals have been hired at Dower, Custer, Clarkmoor and Tyee Park elementary schools, she expects things to stabilize at the elementary-school level.

Lisa Kelly, : Kelly, who replaces retiring principal Bev Eastman, comes from Derringer School District, where she was most recently the administrative dean of students at North Tapps Middle School. Her position in the small K-8 district included a leadership role in academic achievement and student management. Kelly previously worked in several music-educator related roles in Washington and Oregon.

“We are very pleased with our principal hires and we know that is the most important thing we do—hiring staff—so it is a fairly intensive process,” LeBeau said. “We are looking forward to working with our new administrative staffs.”

LeBeau said that Eastman and Kevin Brooks, of Dower Elementary, were the last of the principals who were in their positions when she arrived in CPSD 15 years ago.

“It really does mark a period of time,” she said.

She said that the hiring process at all four schools was inclusive, and that staff, parents and students were invited to be part of the process.

"We had lots of school input and involvement in the selections, and all four schools are so excited about their new principals,” LeBeau said. “They all feel they have the best match possible and they are very satisfied, so that is good. They all feel that they are in good shape.”

LeBeau also said that Brooks and Eastman, who were principals of their schools for 26 and 19 years, respectively, both felt that they were leaving their schools in good hands.

“Their staffs are happy,” she said, “and now the work can just keep going forward.”

Paula Dawson,

Dawson, who replaces retiring principal Brooks, was previously a reading specialist at Elmhurst Elementary in the Franklin Pierce School District. She has been an elementary teacher in primary and intermediate classrooms for the past eight years. Dawson has filled in for principals on short- and long-term leaves in her district and as fifth- through 12th-grade summer school principal the past two years.

Paula Grayson, : Grayson replaces Molly Click, who died in January. Grays comes from the Steilacoom Historical School District, where she most recently served as acting principal of Pioneer Middle School. Grayson has 18 years of experience as an educator—10 as a teacher and eight as an administrator. Coming from a school where 60 percent of students are military dependents, she has a deep understanding of the needs and challenges of families on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Gail Gillis, : Gillis, who most recently served as assistant principal of Orchard Heights Elementary in the South Kitsap School District, replaces Tina Williams, who is returning to teaching. Gillis has also been a dean of students, curriculum specialist and world language teacher. She taught Spanish and French in the Central Kitsap School District.