PUSD’s McKinley and Norma Coombs Schools Welcome New Principals

New principals are at Pasadena Unified School District’s McKinley School and Norma Coombs Alternative School for the 2013-2014 school year.

The new principal of McKinley is John Albert, while Norma Coombs’ new interim principal is Dr. Jennifer Smith.

Albert, who was a high school social studies teacher, served as a principal and assistant principal in the Fullerton and Vista Unified school districts. He also served as the director of curriculum and instructional support of the Capistrano Unified School District in Orange County.

“I am very proud of the rich tradition of success that McKinley has had and I am thrilled to join the McKinley family,” Albert said on the school’s website. “My role as the principal and instructional leader is to provide the support necessary to ensure that all students continue to receive the best education possible and to ensure high levels of learning for all students.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Smith will lead Norma Coombs Alternative School.

Dr. Smith most recently served as Interim Principal of McKinley School for the 2013 spring semester. At McKinley she ushered the school through a transition of principals and brings a track record of academic excellence while forming collaborative partnerships with staff, teachers and families.

“The teachers and families of Norma Coombs have invested much time and passion in making the school successful,” said PUSD Superintendent Jon R. Gundry. “I am confident that under the leadership of Dr. Smith, NCAS will continue to move forward with expanding the school’s tradition of high standards for achievement among students, teachers, staff and families.”

Prior to her work at McKinley, Dr. Smith served as assistant principal at Marshall Fundamental School and Muir High School and a teacher and a resource teacher at Wilson Middle School.

Dr. Smith also served as a Program Administrator and Senior Program Specialist at the Los Angeles County Office of Education supporting the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program. Dr. Smith possesses a doctorate of education from USC, a master’s degree from Point Loma University and a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach.

McKinley is an art-focused school which is home to around 1,200 students from kindergarten through eight grade. Meanwhile, Norma Coombs is an open-enrollment school that serves about 400 students from kindergarten through fifth grade.