ALEXANDRIA, VA — After the departure of Mount Vernon Community School’s principal, the search for a replacement has been narrowed down to two candidates.
On Monday, two finalist candidates for principal gave their pitches during virtual meet-and-greets. The finalists are Eneida Thomas, assistant principal at Fairfax County’s dual language Braddock Elementary School, and Jen Hamilton, the dual language coordinator for Alexandria City Public Schools.
Former Principal Liza Burrell-Aldana, who was named Washington Post’s 2023 principal of the year, resigned effective at the end of June, ALX Now reported. That led Alexandria City Public Schools to start a process to select a new principal in time for the new school year.
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Families were able to share feedback on what qualities they’d like to see in the new principal in a survey through June 29. The group of candidates was narrowed down through first and second round interviews.
After the meet-and-greet sessions with the two finalists, the community can give feedback through Wednesday. The superintendent will interview the two finalists on Thursday, and the School Board will approve the final principal selection on July 20.
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Both candidates are bilingual in English and Spanish with experience in dual language programs, as Mount Vernon Community School is a language program school. That means half of subjects are taught in Spanish, and half are taught through English, reflecting a 55.8 percent Hispanic student population and 36.2 percent white student population.
Thomas is a Panama native with a decades-long career in education and has raised a 23-year-old son soon attending dental school. She started as a kindergarten teacher 25 years ago in a DC charter school and worked for 10 years as a special education teacher in Virginia. Thomas later became a middle school assistant principal and returned to the elementary level as assistant principal at Braddock Elementary at Fairfax County Public Schools.
“I found that students felt more comfortable and connected when I spoke Spanish to them, and families felt more comfortable and at ease to be involved in school meetings with administrators that spoke Spanish, and they worked very hard to ensure that their culture was also accentuated within the school,” Thomas said of working in a middle school with over 70 percent English learners.
At Mount Vernon Community School, Thomas said she’d value supporting teachers, meeting the needs of students, supporting parent engagement and growing the school’s dual language program.
“I’ll be a champion for students and staff ensuring that your needs are met in a safe, orderly learning environment,” said Thomas. “I’ll be transparent, communicative and authentic, grounding my decisions and data. I will also have high expectations for students staff and families yet providing them with the support, resources and tools that are needed to be successful.”
Hamilton coordinates the dual language programs at four Alexandria public schools, including Mount Vernon Community School. She started tutoring Spanish during her education at Georgetown University then volunteered to teach English to college students while living in Mexico. She returned to join a new Georgetown master’s program to prepare English learner teachers for high-needs schools. She later became an English learner teacher and department chair in Prince William County and taught in an alternative program for English learner students in Arlington Public Schools.
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In the last nine years at Alexandria public schools, Hamilton has also held roles like English learner instructional specialist and assistant principal supervising English learner services and special education services at Mount Vernon Community School. Hamilton is also the parent of a 5-year-old joining the dual language program this fall.
“It’s very exciting for my family to experience dual language as parents and the student versus as a program administrator. And I look forward to comparing our experience to the experience we’ve built here in Alexandria and reflecting on both as we continue to build our dual language program,” said Hamilton.
Hamilton says she isn’t pursuing any principal positions outside of Mount Vernon Community School, where she feels a commitment and passion. She believes in “creating positive meaningful relationships with students, staff and families,” boosting relationships between the school community and district leadership and helping staff develop and grow.
“My vision for Mount Vernon is that we continue to build upon the excellence of the last several years to become a model dual language school that embodies the three pillars of dual language education, which are high levels of student achievement, bilingualism and biliteracy and socio-cultural competence as we create the next generation of multilingual leaders for our diverse and ever changing world,” said Hamilton. “I’m committed to continuing the work of sustaining and increasing community engagement from all of the families we serve, and enhancing our dual language program so that it serves all of our learners well.”
The full meet-and-greets with principal candidates are available on the principal search web page.
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