🌻Update from Interim Principal🌻

Dear Garfield Families,

It is my honor to serve as your interim principal. I have heard wonderful things about the Garfield Learning Community. Colleagues across the district speak about Garfield's staff with real admiration, and about North Park as a community that shows up for its school. Stepping into a place with that reputation is a privilege.

Principal Murphy has been enormously generous over these past weeks, sharing background, materials, and context so that the transition is as seamless as possible for you and for our students. Her care for this school has been evident in every conversation. The administrative team, Mason, Maluz, Guillermo and Eriberto have been beyond supportive and amazing...a true testament to the care and hard work ethic at Garfield.

My philosophy is simple: the sole purpose of my leadership is to support kids, staff, and the work of teaching and learning. I love kids, and the joy and energy of the school site. It is where the work is real. I am collaborative by nature and by conviction, because the people who know a school best are the people already in it. My first weeks will be spent listening far more than talking — learning what is working, what gets in your way, and where I can be useful.

By way of background, I have thirty-five years in education as a para-educator, teacher, staff developer, and principal at both the middle and elementary levels. I retired from Toler Elementary’s principalship in June of 2025. I enjoyed sixteen years in San Diego Unified (early and later in my career) and additional administrative service in the Del Mar Union and San Dieguito Union High School Districts.