Update: Narro Appointed Monterey Hills Principal

Update: Laurie Narro was appointed Principal of at Tuesday's school board meeting.

"I am so excited to have the opportunity to work at MHS as the instructional leader," she told Patch.

"I have heard many positive things about the professionalism of the staff and the dedicated parent volunteers. I am eager to help the district achieve the mission of preparing students as 21st century learners through creative instruction and by building critical thinkers; skilled communicators and students who can work collaboratively."

Original Story: Superintendent Joel Shapiro will recommend that Laurie Narro, who is now serving as principal of Bitely Elementary in Rosemead, be appointed as principal of at Tuesday's school board meeting.

More than 80 applicants applied for the position, according to a memo released by Shapiro.

Of the candidate, he writes:

Dr. Laurie Narro is currently serving as principal of Bitely Elementary School in the Garvey School District. She has been in this position for six years. Prior to becoming principal, she served as academic literacy coach at Bitely for six years. She also worked as a GATE resource teacher and intervention resource teacher. In addition, she has been a student teacher supervisor and instructor of a Reading/Language Arts methods course at Cal State, Los Angeles. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree and Masters in Education Administration from Cal State, L.A. She received her Ed. D. in Educational Leadership from UCLA.

As principal at Bitely Elementary School for six years, Dr. Narro achieved a record of success in areas that have been identified as priorities in South Pasadena and at Monterey Hills. She has demonstrated strong instructional leadership, moving overall student achievement forward, while focusing on closing the achievement gap for English learners, Latino students and other subgroups. She led her staff in the implementation of several instructional initiatives, providing professional development and coaching of staff. She has focused her efforts on implementing teaching strategies that promote critical thinking and high levels of student engagement. She has been a trainer in several instructional programs for teachers, including Thinking Maps, Write from the Beginning, and Multiple Intelligences. She also emphasized collaboration among teachers, using data to help teachers analyze the instructional program and plan for improvement.

Dr. Narro has worked successfully with parents and community members, increasing parent participation and leveraging their efforts to support her school’s educational goals. Her current and past colleagues and supervisors, who were consulted as part of the selection process, indicated that she serves as a leader among her administrative colleagues. Dr. Narro has also been praised for her effectiveness as a communicator and her commitment to the success of all students. She has been described as a strong leader who develops strong teams that focus on students’ needs above all.

If approved, Narro would replace Principal Joe Johnson, who after the the district offered staff an appealing incentive retirement package.

He is one of 30 faculty members who retired this school year.

To see Tuesday's full agenda, click HERE.