Chanda Oatis, who has been the Principal at Alki Elementary for two years, after time at Denny International Middle School, has been named as Principal at Van Asselt Elementary School beginning in the fall. The announcement came in a letter to the Alki Elementary community from Superintendent José Banda on July 3.

Dear Alki Elementary School community,

Today I’m announcing a leadership change at Alki Elementary School for the next school year. Your principal, Ms. Chanda E. Oatis, has been appointed principal at Van Asselt Elementary School effective for the 2013-2014 school year.

Ms. Carmela Dellino, Executive Director for K-12 schools in West Seattle, will lead the process to identify a new principal for Alki. We will move quickly to form a hiring committee, and will keep you informed of the process. We are committed to finding a strong principal who will be a great fit for your community and who can build on Alki’s successes.

I appreciate the outstanding leadership that Ms. Oatis brought to Alki Elementary the past two years which has led to impressive gains in literacy, math and science achievement. And I appreciate the dedication of Alki families and staff to student success and to creating a positive and enriching learning environment at your school.

Please join me in thanking Ms. Oatis for her years at Alki Elementary.

Sincerely,

José Banda
Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools