PORT ANGELES — A California man will be the next principal of Port Angeles High School, Schools Superintendent Gary Cohn said today.
Garry Cameron, assistant principal of West Valley High School in Hemet, Calif., will take over July 1 for Scott Harker, who asked to step down and will become assistant principal at Stevens Middle School.
“I am very pleased that Garry has accepted the job as principal of Port Angeles High School,” Cohn said in a statement issued by the Port Angeles School District this afternoon.
“I am thoroughly convinced that he will bring a high level of energy and a consistently high level of focus on student success and instructional leadership to this key principalship.”
“He has a wonderful and unique mix of skills, having served as an administrator, teacher and coach at the high school level, and as a middle school teacher,” Cohn said.
“Even during these challenging times, Garry is known in his school as a leader with a strong positive outlook and a clear history of determination in supporting growth of students and staff; I consider him a rising star who will bring a sense of renewal and optimism and a new perspective to our work. All of the information we gathered through interviews and numerous reference calls and site visits points to Garry being the best fit for Port Angeles High School.”
The Hemet Unified School District, south of Riverside in Southern California, is a larger system with four high schools and about 22,000 students, Cohn said.
Previously, Cameron was a social studies teacher, intervention coordinator and an administrative designee at West Valley before being promoted to assistant principal. Cameron taught math at Dartmouth Middle School, also in Hemet, in 2000 through 2002.
He began his teaching career in Washington state at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in the Marysville School District in 1999 where he taught math and coached girls’ tennis.
His appointment has been placed on Monday’s School Board meeting agenda for board approval. The meeting will be held at Dry Creek Elementary, 25 Rife Road, Port Angeles.
