Emily Cope, assistant principal at Forest Edge ES, will take over for retiring leader.
Emily Cope, assistant principal at Forest Edge Elementary School, has been hired as the new principal at Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences.
"I am very excited and thrilled to be able to put my art background to good use," said Cope, who was an art teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools for nine years prior to becoming an administrator.
Cope, a Reston resident, holds an Bachelor of Fine Arts degre from Syracuse University and a Master's in administration from University of Virginia.
She has been with FCPS since 1997, first as an art teacher, at Weyanoke and Mantua Elementary Schools, and at Lanier Middle School.
She became an assistant principal in 2006, serving first at Poplar Tree Elementary School and then at Forest Edge.
Cope had been at Forest Edge since the 2008-09 school year.
She begins her new position Aug. 1, replacing Olivia Toatley. Toatley is retiring after 40 years as an educator and 14 at Hunters Woods as a teacher, assistant principal and principal.
"I think Olivia Toatley has done a tremendous job with the school," said Cope. "I feel lucky to follow in her leadership. It will be a privilege."
John Farrell
7:24 am on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
A Reston elementary school gets a principal who actually has extensive elementary school classroom experience!
How lucky for Hunters Woods!
When will all Reston elementary schools be that lucky?
Michael
11:14 am on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Three questions:
1. What is your definition of "extensive?"
2. What is your evidence? I know of several Reston ES principals with 10+ years in elementary classrooms.
3. Would it have been that hard to make a simple congratulatory statement without criticizing others in the process?
I happen to agree with the point that principals should have experience teaching at the ages they will lead. But this thread should have been about Hunters Woods, not about personal gripes somewhere else in the system. Way to put a negative spin on a positive thing!
John Farrell
2:40 pm on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Michael
Three answers:
1) I wrote an Letter to the Editor here regarding the South Lakes opening and described "extensive experience:"
http://reston.patch.com/articles/letter-what-we-want-in-a-principal-for-slhs
2) not all Reston elementary principals have 10+ years elementary classroom experince, in fact, one will have no elementary classrooom experience.
3) Reston has received some very uneven treatment from FCPS over the years when it comes to principals assigned to our schools. Some have been great, like Carol Bradley, some have been less so.
Reston's kids deserve better than we have been getting. And panglossian statements don't result in improvement.
Here's wishing Hunters Woods and Ms. Cope all the best!
Raba letteri
8:59 am on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
We at Forest EdgeES have been so lucky to have Mrs. Cope as one of our Assistant Principals. Hunters Woods students and staff will certainly benefit from her extensive knowledge and experience. We'll miss you, Mrs. Cope!
Susan Sather
9:37 am on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
I can tell you that a couple of Hunters Woods girls cheered when they learned that Mrs. Cope was coming to their school, even though they'll miss having Mrs. Toatley there every day.
Congratulations Emily! Welcome to Hunters Woods!
Richard Holmquist
9:43 am on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
We'll miss Mrs. Cope at Forest Edge, but nice to see that my alma mater will be getting a great new prinicipal. Go mustangs!!
Ellen Jennings
2:15 pm on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Congratulations to Mrs. Cope and to Hunters Woods!
Michael
9:42 pm on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Thanks for the link, John.
If some schools haven't had a principal with 8 years classroom experience, that's very unfortunate. I haven't met them and I've worked with most of the schools in Reston in some capacity, but not all, so I will admit they could be out there.
In any case I don't see what Pangloss has to do with it. I never said it was the best possible situation. I just said that the negative tone I read in your comment seemed out of place. In the letter you linked was a much more appropriate place for such a comment. Panglossian comments don't result in improvement, but neither does raining on someone's well-deserved welcome party.
John Farrell
11:02 pm on Tuesday, June 5, 2012
And now we need new principals at Aldrin and Dogwood.
So that's new principals in 6 Reston schools in the last 18 months: Forest Edge, Hunters Woods, Terraset, Aldrin, Dogwood and South Lakes.
Is Mr. Zuluaga, Cluster VIII Assistant Superintendent, cleaning house in Reston?