Jenna Mittleman will be in charge of Los Paseos and Swati Dagar will oversee Paradise Valley
Published on Page 4 of the August 21, 2013 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
As the new school year starts, students and parents are returning from summer break to find two new elementary school principals coming on board with the Morgan Hill Unified School District. Jenna Mittleman will be in charge of the Los Paseos campus and Swati Dagar will lead Paradise Valley.
Jenna Mittleman, principal Los Paseos Elementary School
A graduate of San Jose State University’s integrated teaching credential program, Mittleman worked as a Los Paseos teacher for nearly a decade and fell in love with the school and its students. Los Paseos is located in San Jose near Bernal Road and Santa Teresa Boulevard.
“In 2003, I was hired by Morgan Hill Unified to teach fifth grade at Los Paseos Elementary School and team with Mr. John McPherson and Mrs. Margaret Rodriguez, two well-known and respected educators in Morgan Hill,” Mittleman said. “After a great first year, I knew Los Paseos was a place that I could call home.”
A sixth-grade position opened the following year, and she spent the next three years teaching that grade level. In 2007, an opening in kindergarten led her to yet another change that allowed her to gain experience with primary students and curriculum.
In fall 2012, she became an administrator in Alum Rock Union School District.
“Although leaving Morgan Hill Unified tore at my heartstrings, I knew accepting the position would provide me the experience as an administrator that I was looking for,” Mittleman said. “Above all, I truly believe that an administrator’s role is to serve as an advocate for all parties involved, and the best way to do that is through building healthy relationships.”
Returning to Los Paseos, she will work with a diverse community of learners and families, focusing on collaborating around “best practices for twenty-first century learning” and the bridge needed for Common Core State Standards, she said.
“There’s no doubt that within education lies tremendous complexities that revolve around race, ethnicities, class, gender, citizenship status, language, and sexual orientation,” Mittleman said. “The theme that arises in my mind is the need for equitable environments.”
Swati Dagar, principal of Paradise Valley Elementary School
Stepping into the principal role at Paradise Valley (located in the La Cross Drive neighborhood in the southwest section of Morgan Hill), Dagar said that education has always been an integral part of her life. She was born and raised in India’s capital city of New Delhi, and her passion for education comes from the fact many in her family were educators.
After completing her master’s degree in business administration and pursuing a career in human resources, she moved to the United States in 2002.Rekindling her passion in education, she earned a multiple subject teaching credential, followed by an administrative credential, and a master’s degree in educational administration.
Dagar taught at James McEntee Academy in the Alum Rock Union School District for four years. After that experience, she started her administrative career as an academic dean and then as a principal, she said. Serving as the principal at Oak Avenue Elementary School in Greenfield, she found insight into the way educators help students on a daily basis.
“I believe that all kids can and will learn, just not at the same time and the same way,” Dagar said. “It’s us, as adults, who are responsible to ensure all kids learn.”
She describes her style as a principal as leading by example and involving herself in the support of each member of her staff, treating each person as an important and valuable member of the Paradise Valley team.
“As the principal of a school, I believe in driving our discussions, decisions, and actions to revolve around what’s best for kids and how we can ensure continued student achievement in a safe school environment,” Dagar said. “Of course, the school staff cannot do this alone. Parent involvement and participation is critical to a child’s success and I encourage all parents to be actively involved in their child’s education. It is through this positive partnership between families and school that a child’s educational experience is strengthened beyond compare.”
To view a list of back-to-school nights, see Page 2. For more information, visit www.mhu.k12.ca.us. To learn more about the two schools, visit www.paradise.mhu.k12.ca.us and www.lospaseos.mhu.k12.ca.us.
