Five of West Seattle’s nine public elementary schools will have new principals this fall.
When we reported last week on the latest departure, at Lafayette Elementary, it was the third one we’d heard about after Alki and Roxhill; then a commenter informed us that Sanislo Elementary‘s principal had also left; and when following up with Seattle Public Schools communicators this week, we learned that West Seattle Elementary‘s principal has moved on too.
Four of the five departing principals already have been replaced. Here’s the rundown on the departures and, where applicable, replacements:
ALKI ELEMENTARY: Shannon Hobbs-Beckley has left after three years; we published her announcement in May, as she told the Alki community she was headed to Brazil to work at “an American school.” Rena Deese, previously head teacher at Leschi Elementary, is succeeding her.
LAFAYETTE ELEMENTARY: Robert Gallagher announced his departure last week, also after three years. His replacement has not yet been chosen.
ROXHILL ELEMENTARY: Sahnica Washington has left, also after three years. Tarra Patrick is succeeding her; she most recently served as a middle-school principal in Marysville.
SANISLO ELEMENTARY: Bruce Rhodes has left, also after three years, to become principal at the El Monte, Calif., school where he once worked as a teacher. His successor is Erika Ayer, most recently principal at Daniel Bagley Elementary.
WEST SEATTLE ELEMENTARY: After six years, Vicki Sacco has left to become a principal-development coach for the district. WSES assistant principal Pamela McCowan-Conyers has been promoted to succeed Sacco.
In addition to all this, as we learned in the Lafayette-departure announcement, the principals’ supervisor, Executive Director of Southwest Schools Israel Vela, has departed, too, for the Kent school district, after three years in the SPS role. No replacement announced yet.
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