Board of Education Approves Hires of Two Employees

From the Alameda Unified School District: The Board of Education for the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) approved the hire of two new employees: a principal for Paden Elementary School and a new Director of Special Education.

The new principal for Paden, Drew Sarratore, is currently a principal with Vincent Academy in West Oakland and has experience working with schools that serve diverse and underserved populations, including low-income and English Language Learning students. He is committed to building strong school communities by supporting teachers, providing resources to families, and educating the whole child. At Vincent Academy, for instance, he helped organize weekend workout classes, turkey and toy drives, and weekly coffees with the principal. The academy also offered animation, robotics, sports, cooking, and science-based afterschool classes.

The new Director of Special Education is Victoria Forrester, Ed.D., a former AUSD teacher. Dr. Forrester currently serves as the Director of Student Services, Special Education, and Community Wellness for San Leandro Unified School District and is an adjunct visiting professor in the Mills College Educational Leadership program. She was a principal for seven years in San Leandro and also worked as a secondary literacy coordinator and eighth grade teacher at Chipman Middle School here in Alameda. Prior to that she taught at Earhart Elementary School.

The board also approved hiring Kai Dwyer as the new Dean of Student Services at Alameda High School. Ms. Dwyer is currently a counselor at Wood Middle School.

“I am very excited to welcome Mr. Sarratore to our school district and to welcome Dr. Forrester back to our district,” said Superintendent Sean McPhetridge. “I look forward to working with these two highly qualified educators as we move forward on our goal of providing an excellent education to all students. Meanwhile, I am delighted to see Kai Dwyer assume a new role in AUSD, knowing as I do her stellar work with young people at Wood Middle School these past years.”

Image via Pixabay