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Shannon Potts named La Entrada principal

by Renee Batti

Shannon Potts, the coordinator of assessment in the Santa Clara Unified School District for the last seven years, is La Entrada Middle School's new principal, replacing Larry Thomas.

1. Ms. Potts' appointment was approved by the Las Lomitas School District board on Aug. 6.

Her earlier work in the Santa Clara district office included a stint as the instructional, materials, library and technology specialist at the middle school and high school levels, according to a press release issued by the district.

Superintendent Lisa Cesario said Ms. Potts "will be a very strong instructional leader" at La Entrada. Her skills, however, will benefit not only that school, but the district as a whole.

"She has the advantage of (having worked) at a district level," Ms. Cesario noted, adding that her skills at that level will make her "an integral part of our leadership team."

In overseeing the La Entrada school program, "she's going to know what to ask the district for," Ms. Cesario said.

The superintendent said Ms. Potts' expertise and leadership skills will be valuable to the district at a time it moves forward with putting into place the "common core standards" — national and state student achievement standards — and implementing its newly adopted strategic plan. "She'll be able to bring the staff together ... and help guide the changes ahead," the superintendent said.

Ms. Potts, who has also taught first and sixth grades, has technology and bilingual credentials, according to the district. She served as a summer principal at both the middle school and high school levels for several years, working closely with the Stanford Teacher Education Program, or STEP, the district said.

She received her bachelor's degrees in history and Spanish from Santa Clara University and her master of arts degree in educational leadership from San Jose State University.

Ms. Cesario said the new principal also is "extremely technologically skilled — she uses technology as a way of being more efficient." She has worked in the field of online instruction, and has taught through UC Santa Cruz's extension program and at Foothill College.

"And she's also very good with kids," the superintendent said. "She has three kids herself — she knows what it's like to raise kids."