Thanks to the Madison Middle School parent who just shared the memo from Superintendent José Banda: Seven months after becoming interim principal at Madison, Dr. Robert Gary Jr. now has the permanent job.

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Robert Gary, Jr. has been appointed the permanent Principal for Madison Middle School. He has been serving as Interim Principal since July 2013 and has quickly built a good relationship with staff, students and families who have described him as hard-working, fair, kind, organized and with high standards.

Dr. Gary originally came to Madison from the District’s Interagency Academy and Skills Center, where he served as co-principal during the 2011-13 school year. Robert Gary immediately demonstrated his commitment to building a multi-tiered system of support to ensure that every student is ready for high school after his or her eighth grade year, proving to be a great fit for the Madison community.

Israel Vela, Executive Director for Schools in the West Seattle region, oversaw the community input process to gather feedback on Dr. Gary’s performance as interim principal. This included meeting with staff, surveying staff, meeting with the PTSA and conducting a survey of the Madison community. The Madison PTSA board unanimously voted to recommend that Dr. Gary be permanently appointed as Principal.

Prior to the Interagency Academy and Skills Center, Dr. Gary served as principal at Rainier Beach High School from 2005-2011 and was assistant principal at the school from 1997-2004. During his time at Rainier Beach, the school saw academic gains on state standardized tests. He was pleased to return to Madison Middle, where he previously served as a Teacher, House Administrator and Interim Assistant Principal.

Dr. Gary earned a Masters in Education in School Administration from Western Washington University and received a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington and received his teacher certification from Seattle University.

His goals for Madison Middle School include a focus on the mission and vision of Madison and a continued focus on curriculum alignment and common assessments to support high student achievement.

I know that you will join me in congratulating Robert Gary on his appointment as permanent Principal. Thank you for your dedication to your student and your school community.

Madison has a big music event tonight, by the way, as mentioned in our daily preview.