New School Principals Approved In Stafford County

STAFFORD, VA—Here's a look at several of the new principals recently approved by the Stafford County School Board:

Timothy Roberts, Principal, Brooke Point High School

Roberts has been an assistant principal at Brooke Point since 2012. He was also the school's Principal Intern for four years and was a special education and resource teacher for six years.

As assistant principal, Roberts has worked collaboratively with department chairs, central office, and the principal to design a master schedule that reduced class sizes and the number of teacher preps as well as met the varying interests and needs of students. He developed and implemented the first countywide High Riser Program, a summer program for rising freshmen identified as at-risk. Roberts serves as a Mentor/Intern Supervisor for teachers pursuing careers in educational leadership.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of Education degree
with an endorsement in Special Education from Mary Washington College. He completed a Certificate of Completion in Educational Leadership from the University of Mary Washington.

Andrew Bathke, Principal, Dixon-Smith Middle School

Bathke has served in the division for the last 22 years: three years as a fifth grade teacher at Winding Creek Elementary, four years as an eighth grade social studies teacher, eight years as an Assistant Principal at Rodney E. Thompson Middle School, and the last seven years as assistant principal at Stafford High School. Prior to coming to Stafford, he was an elementary teacher in Texas and a preschool/kindergarten teacher in Missouri.

Bathke has contributed greatly to Stafford High School. In the area of master scheduling, he refined the special needs course request process, expanded ESOL supports, and standardized foundation mathematics supports. In the counseling and student services realms, he implemented online counseling requests and expanded elective opportunities for students in low incidence programs. In addition, he jointly facilitated Tribe Time systemic Tier 1 interventions for students.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of Missouri – Kansas City and a Master of Education degree in Education Leadership from George Mason University.

Karen Bingham, Principal, Widewater Elementary School

Bingham has been a Stafford County educator the past 24 years. She was an elementary music
specialist for 15 years and an assistant principal for the past nine. She was an assistant principal at Rockhill Elementary School, Conway Elementary School, and most recently at North Star Early Childhood Education Center.

Bingham is very active at the division level. She is an IDEA Trainer for the New Teacher Institute, served on the pilot team for Synergy SE (the special education module of the student information system), presented to assistant principals and designees on Response to Intervention and was on the selection committee for the SCPS Teacher of the Year and First Class Teacher of the Year. For the last five years, Mrs. Bingham coordinated Band Together to Fight Hunger, resulting in 30,000 meal donations to the food bank.

She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from James Madison University, a Master of Arts degree in Music Education from George Mason University, and an endorsement in Administration and Supervision from the University of Mary Washington.

Brian Raska, Principal, Hartwood Elementary School

Raska spent the last four years as an assistant principal in the division. He served three years at Stafford Elementary School and the past year at Anthony Burns Elementary School. Prior to coming to Stafford, he served in Prince William County Public Schools as an Administrative Intern and an elementary physical education specialist. Raska also taught adapted physical education in Arlington County Public Schools.

As an assistant principal at Anthony Burns Elementary, Raska organized the Flood-In
Reading/Math support model, which enhanced and optimized the manner in which intervention
specialists, instructional paraprofessionals, and other support staff meet the needs of students. In
addition, he established the Gentlemen of Anthony Burns, a program for at-risk male students that works to develop a desire for academic excellence, respect for teachers, peers, and family, and a heart for serving and leading in the school and community.

He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from Longwood University, a Master of Education degree in Kinesiology from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Education degree in Education Leadership from George Mason University.

Stefanie Sanders, Principal, Stafford Elementary School

Sanders joins SCPS from Prince William County Public Schools with 21 years of experience: three years as an assistant principal, six years as a teacher, and most recently, 12 years as principal of Lake Ridge Elementary School.

As Principal of Lake Ridge Elementary, Sanders was one of the first school leaders in Prince
William County to implement professional learning communities. In addition, she is a strong
instructional leader who ensures that students receive the individual supports necessary for success. Sanders' commitment to both horizontal and vertical alignment to enhance professional learning for teachers led to increased achievement for all students at Lake Ridge.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Mary Washington College and a Master of Education degree in Education Leadership from George Mason University.

Michael Archambault, Principal, Rodney Thompson Middle School

Archambault spent the last four years as an assistant principal at Rodney E. Thompson Middle
School. Previously, he taught middle school social studies for nine years in King George County Public Schools.

One of Archambault's many contributions to Rodney E. Thompson Middle School has been the
creation of professional learning resources for faculty. He presented on lesson closure activities,
facilitating difficult conversations with parents, and incorporating Twitter into the classroom. He is currently designing professional learning opportunities on culturally responsive teaching and alternative approaches to student discipline.

He earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees in Secondary Social
Studies and Adolescent Education from the State University of New York College at Cortland and a
Specialist in Education degree in Educational Leadership from Regent University.