Sunnyvale School District is pleased to announce the appointment of several new principals and assistant principals for the coming school year.
Shamar Edwards is the new principal at Sunnyvale Middle School. Ms. Edwards is a native of Los Angeles who has been in the Bay Area close to 20 years. A USC alumnus, she holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in education with an emphasis on curriculum and instruction. After teaching in the classroom at an alternative school in Oakland, Calif., Ms. Edwards earned another master’s degree in education administration, from UC Berkeley’s Principal’s Leadership Institute. She has 15 years of school administration experience, including four years at Castro Valley High School, 10 years as the principal of Capuchino High School in San Bruno and one year as the founding administrator on the design team for T.I.D.E Academy, a new, small STEM high school in Menlo Park. In addition to her love of working with students, families and educators, Ms. Edwards has a great sense of humor and loves sports (a die-hard Lakers fan-sorry, Bay Area teams). She also loves to listen to live music, dance, exercise, and take care of her pride and joys, Xavier and Kennedy.
Roopali Bali is the new assistant principal at Sunnyvale Middle School. Mrs. Bali has a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Santa Clara University. For the past two years, she has been a district instructional coach focusing on the areas of literacy/English Language Development, math, and assessments. Prior to coming to Sunnyvale, Mrs. Bali served as a teacher, teacher mentor, coach, and equity coach in the Campbell Union School District for 10 years. Her leadership experiences have provided her with opportunities to collaborate with diverse groups of people in order to improve social-emotional well-being and academic achievement of the students. Mrs. Bali believes that relationships are the key to learning and growing, and she looks forward to building positive relationships with SMS students, staff, and families this upcoming year! Mrs. Bali is married and has two children. She grew up in India but has lived in the Bay Area for the last 20 years.
Brian Brown is the new assistant principal at Lakewood EQ. His path as an educator started as an elementary school substitute teacher, where he discovered his passion for working with young people.
Mr. Brown says,“I have spent the last fourteen years teaching 6th-8th graders at Sunnyvale Middle School in a variety of subjects. I am a Bay Area native and I have fond memories of spending time in my childhood at my grandparent’s house, located in the Lakewood neighborhood. In addition to teaching English, math, history, science, drama, and leadership, I’ve served as an athletic coach and Student Council Advisor. Through this multitude of experiences, I’ve learned the importance of engaging and connecting with students while staying true to my core belief that each and every student can learn, grow, and have a positive impact on their family, friends, and community. In fact, it is the strong sense of community here at Lakewood that really drew me to this school. The school staff, parents, and everyone in the Lakewood neighborhood cares deeply about the school and it is an honor to serve them in my new role as Assistant Principal. I am so excited to start the new school year! It is my hope that each student that sets foot on the Lakewood campus this year feels welcome, safe, and challenged to reach their full potential.”
Nelson Hunter is the new assistant principal at San Miguel Elementary School. Education has been one of Mr. Hunter’s life-long passions. At San Miguel, he is enthusiastic to make a difference in the lives of students and staff by solving problems collaboratively, communicating in a positive manner, and making sure outstanding learning occurs daily. Supporting his teachers and staff is a major priority in making sure they feel confident to do their very best. Mr. Hunter is married with two children (Isabella 12, Alexander 8) and he usually spends his free time connecting with family and friends, snowboarding, being handy, and using tech effectively.
Gloria Marchant is the new principal at Cherry Chase School. Mrs. Marchant has been an educator for over 22 years. She was born in Valparaiso, Chile. As a young girl, Mrs. Marchant moved to Toronto, Canada where she went on to receive a double major in Spanish and Biology at the University of Toronto. She began her career as a teacher at Hoover Middle School in the San Jose Unified School District. While at San Jose Unified, she held a variety of positions including principal of John Muir Middle and most recently Principal of San Jose High School. Mrs. Marchant has 8-year-old twins, Isabella and Alexander. They are the joy of her life! She loves spending time with family and friends, traveling, and cooking. Mrs. Marchant is extremely excited to join the Cherry Chase community.
Rebecca Carino is the new assistant principal at Cherry Chase School. Mrs. Carino is a third generation native of Santa Clara Valley. She began her career as a middle school teacher in the Cupertino School District. Most recently, she served as Vice Principal, Curriculum Coordinator and Director of Student Services for the Loma Prieta School District in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Mrs. Carino is a nature enthusiast at heart. She enjoys spending time outdoors: hiking and nurturing her garden. Over the summer, she became a grandmother for the first time and has obtained a new level of joy in her life. Mrs. Carino enjoyed working in a very large district, Cupertino, where she grew as an educator and in a very small District, Loma Prieta, where she grew as an administrator. She thrilled to have the opportunity to make contributions, meet new people and continue her love of learning in the Sunnyvale District which, in her words, is “just right”. Mrs. Carino was attracted to the Sunnyvale School District because of the all-inclusive culture of the District. She discovered that in addition to a message that speaks to meeting the needs of every child, Sunnyvale has invested in pathways that will allow that message to become a reality. She is truly honored to be a new member of the Sunnyvale Education Team.
Laurie Carlson is the new principal at Cumberland Elementary. Born and raised in Santa Rosa, CA, Mrs. Carlson headed to UC Davis for her undergraduate work. After graduating with a B.S. in Human Development, she moved to Sunnyvale where she taught 3rd graders at a small private school in San Jose. Mrs. Carlson earned her masters and multiple subject teaching credential through the Critical Research Academy at San Jose State University. With credential in hand, she came to Sunnyvale School District, specifically, Columbia Middle School, where she taught for 9 years and served as instructional coach for 3. She then served all schools as a district instructional coach, specifically coordinating and supporting Middle School Literacy and K-8 English Language Development before becoming the Assistant Principal and now the Principal at Cumberland.
Mrs. Carlson says, “As a teacher, an educator, I am also a learner – I have to be for the students and staff that I work with, especially in the rapidly changing and fast-paced world we are preparing students for. As principal at Cumberland, I am thrilled to be working side-by-side with teachers, staff, and families to continue the work of helping people: learning and implementing practices that will best serve our students in pursuing what they most want to be when they grow up.”
Carly Sturm is the new assistant principal at Cumberland Elementary. She said the heart of why she is in education is to support students in loving learning and meeting high expectations. Mrs. Sturm believes students knowing they are valued by their educators and being given opportunities for curiosity, exploration, and reflection builds their life-long capacity for growth.
Mrs. Sturm says, “I am thrilled to join Cumberland Elementary School as the assistant principal and become a part of the community. In my 16 years of education, I have served as a 7th grade language arts teacher, a general education 4th and 5th grade teacher, an instructional support coach, a new teacher mentor and a district leader in math, technology, and 21st century learning environments. Prior to teaching, I had a career in graphic design and continue to love art and design. On a personal level, I am a Bay Area native who grew up in Saratoga and now lives in San Jose with my husband and 4 year old girl/boy twins. We love cooking, reading, spending time in nature, visiting museums, making art, and putting puzzles together. I look forward to a positive, productive, and engaging year ahead!”