The Arlington School Board appointed Shana Curtis as the new Principal of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program at Tuesday’s meeting. Curtis currently serves as an assistant principal at Gunston Middle School and will succeed current principal, Dr. Karen Gerry, who is retiring at the end of the November.

“Shana has a passion for the total well-being of each and every student and seeks opportunities to ensure that each student experiences a high level of success in the areas of social, emotional, and academic well-being. She is a listener and learner and has a strong desire to work closely with staff and the parent community in an effort to do what is best for students.” said Interim Superintendent Cintia Johnson. “Shana is excited to embrace this new leadership opportunity and build upon the strong instructional program at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program.”

Curtis brings over 10 years of experience in education. She holds a Masters of Education in Special Education from the University of Mary Washington, as well as a Postgraduate Professional Teaching License K-12 in Special Education. Additionally, she holds a second endorsement in the area of Secondary English and earned an Education Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Curtis is also licensed as a K-12 school administrator.

Curtis has served as assistant principal at Gunston Middle School since August 2017. In that role, she has coordinated with the principal and other instructional leaders to support teachers’ instruction through modeling, observing, providing feedback and supporting teacher reflection.

She has also supported teachers in the implementation of ongoing assessment, data collection, and data analysis to support mastery of standards across the content areas. Curtis has worked as a Special Education teacher supporting grade 9-12 students in English, including International Baccalaureate level courses, and a Dean of Students at George Mason High School. She has extensive experience planning for instruction that promotes accessibility to the educational curriculum and includes differentiated approaches to learning, as well as research-based instructional strategies.

Curtis began her teaching career at Woodbridge Middle School and has taught in Fredericksburg, King George County, Alexandria and Falls Church.

Curtis will transition into the new role over the next month and will assume the principalship in January 2020. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program, formerly known as the Stratford Program, is a secondary school with specialized services for APS students who have special needs. Visit the website to learn more here.