Allentown School District Board of Directors Approves New Hires for 2024-2025 School Year
Raymond Stivala
At its regular meeting on Thursday, August 22, 2024 the Allentown School District Board of Directors approved several new appointments for school and district administrators for the 2024-2025 school year.
“We are dedicated to creating pathways for our internal champions to advance into leadership roles within the District,” said Dr. Carol D. Birks, Allentown School District’s Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer. “I look forward to collaborating with these talented professionals who are already deeply committed to the mission, vision, and core values of the District in order to advance our goals.”
Telsa Sparks and Dr. Carolyn Hamilton have been appointed as Acting Principals. Sparks will lead Ramos Elementary School, while Hamilton will serve as Acting Principal at Harrison-Morton Middle School.
Sparks, currently the Assistant School Leader at Building 21, has 17 years of experience in education. Thanks in part to her leadership, Building 21’s graduation rate has reached 92% for a four-year cohort, surpassing the state average. Sparks holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Centenary College, a Master of Education in Secondary Education from East Stroudsburg University, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Lehigh University.
Dr. Hamilton previously served as an Assistant Principal for Central Elementary School and is the current Assistant Principal at Harrison-Morton Middle School. She has 17 years of experience in the Allentown School District, including roles as an instructional coach, teacher, and assistant principal. Hamilton holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology/Teacher Education and a Master of Science in Education from Brooklyn College, City University of New York, along with a Doctorate in Educational Administration and Leadership from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Three new Acting Assistant Principals have also been appointed: Braidyn Womer for Building 21, Dr. Heidi Becker for Muhlenberg Elementary School, and Maria Spinosa for Harrison-Morton Middle School.
Womer, currently a school counselor at Building 21 and a member of the Instructional Leadership Team, brings over a decade of educational experience to his role. She has previously served as an English as a Second Language and Speech Communications teacher in several schools. Womer holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Cedar Crest College, a Master of Education from Cedar Crest College, and a Principal Certification from Lamar University.
Dr. Becker currently serves as a Supervisor of Instruction for the District. She previously was the Director of Curriculum and Assessment at Executive Education Academy Charter School, and brings nearly 20 years of teaching experience. She has served as an elementary teacher, English as a Second Language coordinator, and learning support teacher. Dr. Becker holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Salem State College, a Master of Education with a Reading Specialist Certification from Kutztown University and a Doctorate in Education from Delaware Valley University.
Spinosa has been Supervisor of ESOL Instruction at Trexler Middle School since 2020, and previously was an ESOL teacher in the District for eight years. She was also the Director of International Student Services and ESOL instructor at Cedar Crest College and was an adjunct instructor at La Salle University. Ms. Ebert is a Doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at Delaware Valley University and holds Two Master's from Lehigh University in Educational Leadership from the Urban Principal Academy at Lehigh University and in Comparative and International Education with a focus on globalization and educational change. She holds an advance degree in English as a Second Language from De Sales University, and a Bachelor's in Elementary Education from Alvernia University.
Continuing to build our Talent Management & Labor Relations Team, Jasmine Vasquez will join the District as Human Capital Manager. Vasquez, bilingual in Spanish and English, brings more than 10 years of experience in employee relations, talent acquisition, performance management, and HR operations. She previously served as Performance Manager for WFS, Inc., and holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources management from De Sales University.
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