Submitted by Olympia School District
Jennifer Brotherton has been named Principal of Boston Harbor Elementary School in the Olympia School District. For the past year Brotherton has been serving as Supervisor of Curriculum and Instructional Frameworks with the Tumwater School District. Prior to that she worked in both the Olympia and North Thurston school districts, and has also taught at the university level.
Brotherton will serve half time as the Boston Harbor Principal and half time as the Olympia School District’s Staff Development Coordinator.
In her staff development role Brotherton will arrange and help lead core staff trainings, provide support for major initiatives such as the Teacher-Principal Evaluation Project, and work with new teachers in the district’s Mentor Program. The joint position of Boston Harbor Elementary principal and Staff Development Coordinator became vacant when Michael Havens accepted the position as principal of McKenny Elementary starting in the 2014-15 school year.
“I am thrilled to be given this new opportunity,” said Brotherton. “My parents live in Boston Harbor and my family has spent a great deal of time there so I know firsthand what a fantastic community it is. I also know what an amazing staff and school I am walking into and feel very grateful for the opportunity to serve them. Providing quality professional development is also a passion of mine so the fact that coordinating staff development is part of this position is a bonus for me.”
Brotherton is a National Board Certified Teacher who has worked in the education field for the past 20 years. She taught high school English for 10 years in the North Thurston School District and college level writing for three years in Portland, Oregon before becoming a middle school instructional coach in the Olympia School District in 2008. She became involved in T-PEP for the state of Washington, becoming a feedback specialist for the state where she trained teachers and principals on the Charlotte Danielson Framework and the new evaluation system. Brotherton says she would not have been able to do any of the above without the most important support people in her life, her husband Rik and her children Lucy and Jack.
Brotherton earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Western Washington University in 1994 and her Master of Arts Degree from Portland State University in 2001. She will complete her administrative credentials this year at the University of Washington, Tacoma.
Olympia School District Superintendent Dick Cvitanich said he believed Brotherton was a perfect fit for the job.
“Jen Brotherton is a great match for the children, staff and families at Boston Harbor Elementary as well as the Staff Development Coordinator,” Cvitanich said. “She has a strong background in literacy and the T-PEP process. We are extremely pleased to have her serve in a leadership role, and are looking forward to her enthusiasm and knowledge.”
Boston Harbor Elementary serves about 170 students in preschool through fifth grade. Brotherton will assume her new responsibilities on July 1.
