Meadowdale parent urges board to prioritize experienced, collaborative principal

Claudia Saint Jacques, a Meadowdale parent and mother of three Meadowdale students, told the Edmonds School District Board of Directors that Meadowdale Elementary needs a strong, collaborative principal after the school’s principal announced he is stepping away.

Saint Jacques said the school is "more than one person" and described programs, teacher-led projects and strong parent involvement that she argued make Meadowdale an attractive site. She said she and other Meadowdale families met with the superintendent and assistant superintendent and were told principal searches can take a long time and that the applicant pool appears limited.

"To the future principal of MDE, you're going to walk into a beautiful campus ... the staff and students at Meadowdale need not audition for anyone. They've been worthy and deserving of quality competent and caring leadership this entire time," she said.

Board members thanked Saint Jacques for her remarks. Director Kramer said her presentation made him want to be a principal again and called Meadowdale a community any principal would be lucky to join. The board did not take personnel action at the meeting; district staff said search timing and candidate availability will guide the process.

The parent speaker asked the district to treat Meadowdale's community and programs as assets in recruitment and for the superintendent to keep families informed about the timeline and next steps.