SMMUSD Welcomes Three New Administrators

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has three new members on its roster for the start of the 2013-2014 school year.

Annette Mendoza has been appointed the new principal of Will Rogers Learning Community, Rebecca Chu Ngo is the new assistant principal of John Adams Middle School, and Elizabeth Cochran is the new assistant principal of Will Rogers Learning Community and Grant Elementary School.

“We have been engaged in a search for a Will Rogers principal for the past five months,” Superintendent Sandra Lyon said in an official release. “And although there were many talented, capable candidates interviewed, it took us some time to find the right person to lead the Will Rogers Learning Community.  We have now found that person.”

That person is Mendoza, whom Superintendent Lyon stated is “an experienced administrator who is ready to take over the helm of Will Rogers Learning Community.”

Before coming to SMMUSD, Mendoza was the assistant principal at Orchard Dale Elementary School for the past four years in the East Whittier City School District, where she was recognized by the California Business for Excellence Education for the school’s STEM Program. 

Lyons said of the new assistant principal, Cochran, that Mendoza’s background would be “complemented by Ms. Cochran’s amazing experience and strong connection to the Will Rogers and Grant staffs; her role in the district for the past four years, and experience working with teachers at both schools, will serve our communities well.”

Cochran has been the literacy coordinator with SMMUSD for the past four years. Prior to that, she was the Early Literacy Assessment Manager, Central Office Instructional Technology Coordinator, Area Instructional Technology Coordinator, and Department of Online Learning Content Editor for the Chicago Public Schools. 

Of Ngo – the new assistant principal at John Adams Middle School - Lyons said, “Ms. Ngo… [is] an experienced assistant principal with a strong instructional background, [and] will be a wonderful asset for the JAMS community.”

Ngo has been serving as assistant principal at Will Rogers Learning Community and Grant Elementary School for the past two years.  She has also served as assistant principal at Roosevelt Elementary School.  Prior to joining SMMUSD, Ngo taught second and third grades in the Los Angeles Unified School District.