June 27, 2007

School district changes administrative lineup

Sunset Hills has a new principal
By Blanca Gonzalez
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

POWAY – The Poway Unified School District announced three administrative changes this week, including a new principal for Sunset Hills Elementary School in Rancho Peñasquitos.

Eric Lehew was named assistant superintendent for learning support services, Wendy Smith-Rogers was named executive director of special education, and Kathy Brown was named principal of Sunset Hills.

Brown, principal of El Camino Creek Elementary School in the Encinitas Union School District since 2005, previously worked in the Poway district. She taught fourth and fifth grades at Highland Ranch Elementary and was a sixth-grade teacher and wellness coordinator at Twin Peaks Middle School. Brown also served as summer-school program coordinator and was assistant principal at Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary in Carlsbad in 2004.

Brown earned her bachelor's degree in social science from San Diego State University and her master's degree in education from California State University San Marcos.

Brown replaces Rogers, who will become executive director of special education starting next week.

Rogers has been a principal in the Poway district for the past seven years, first at Shoal Creek Elementary before moving to Sunset Hills in 2006. Rogers started in Poway Unified as a resource specialist at Los Peñasquitos Elementary in 1986. She also has worked at Mt. Carmel High School and Abraxas High School. Before that, Rogers worked in special education in Indiana and in the Garden Grove Unified School District, served as a special-education liaison and provided staff training.

She received her bachelor's degree in special education and elementary education from Northern Illinois University, and her master's in special education from California State University Fullerton.

Lehew has been director of elementary education for the Poway district since 2003. He previously served as principal at Pomerado Elementary School for six years. Lehew also has worked as principal at Painted Rock and Sunset Hills elementary schools and as assistant principal at Mesa Verde Middle School.

He earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Sonoma State College and his master's in educational leadership from SDSU.