Berney & Sharpstein principals named

Berney and Sharpstein Elementary principals named; Coffman takes district office leadership position

Walla Walla Public Schools Board of Directors unanimously named Michelle Carpenter the new principal of Berney Elementary, Maria Garcia the principal of Sharpstein Elementary and Kerri Coffman Director of Assessment and Special Programs.

Carpenter, a 5th grade teacher at Green Park Elementary, replaces Christy Krutulis who earlier this spring accepted the district’s Executive Director of Teaching and Learning position. Garcia, the district’s Assessment Coordinator and former school psychologist, takes over for Matt Bona who has taken a position with Educational Service District 123. Coffman transfers from the district’s Director of Preschool programs to the central office to oversee many of Garcia’s former assessments and to manage federal grant programs.

Carpenter is a National Board Certified teacher with a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She has 20 years of experience teaching, including 14 years at Green Park Elementary. Garcia has a Master’s of Education in School Psychology, has taken courses toward an Administrative Certificate from Washington State University and earned her Principal Credentials from Gonzaga University. She has been the district’s Assessment and Response to Intervention Coordinator for the past eight years. She also has 12 years of experience as a school psychologist. Coffman has been the Director of Preschool programs for the past seven years. She also served as a teacher, principal intern and instructional coach at Sharpstein Elementary for 12 years and a reading teacher at Berney for three years.

“It was a competitive and thorough process that highlighted a talented pool of applicants,” said new Superintendent Wade Smith, who officially begins his tenure July 1 and helped facilitate the hiring process. “These assignments align our strengths, talents, and needs to best serve our core mission of educating students.”

The district will post a Director of Preschool Programs position later this week. Carpenter, Garcia and Coffman begin their new assignments July 1.