Sausalito Marin City picks new principal - Marin IJ - July 21,2006 by Don Speich

Sausalito Marin City picks new principal-
Marin IJ, July 21, 2006 by Don Speich

An East Bay elementary school principal with expertise in curriculum reform and improving test scores was named principal of the Sausalito Marin City district's elementary and middle schools Thursday.

Cherisse C. Baatin, an elementary school principal in Concord's Mt. Diablo School District, replaces Ruby Wilson, who retired in July as principal of both Bayside Elementary School in Sausalito and the Martin Luther King Jr. Academy middle school in Marin City.

Baatin, whose salary will be $100,000 a year, was unanimously approved by the district's Board of Trustees Thursday.

"I look forward to working with Ms. Baatin," said Superintendent Debra Bradley. "Academic success is the critical measure of our achievement.

"Cherisse is a dedicated professional with a proven track record of accomplishment in all areas in which we are seeking to improve our performance."

A resident of Berkeley, Baatin received a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley and a master's degree in special education from San Francisco State University.

She has held a number of teaching and administrative positions in Mt. Diablo since going to work there in 1980.

According to her resume, she "initiated, designed and implemented school-wide reforms" aimed at meeting the "specific needs of ethnically diverse students, families and community."

She coordinated programs to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation and "supervised and evaluated the staff in the development and implementation of standards-based instruction and support programs to accelerate the learning of all students performing below grade level standards, English learners and special education students."

The list includes many of the things the trustees are hoping to either strengthen or implement in their quest to improve education at Martin Luther King, where many students now read below grade level and half of the graduates fail to complete high school.

Board President George Stratigos said, "The board of trustees is very excited Ms. Baatin will be on board at the start of the school year.

"In order to achieve our goal of Vision 900, we must do everything right," he said. "Having a strong administrative team is essential to our success."

Vision 900 refers to a board goal of achieving a district Academic Performance Index of 900, a goal that rivals the best districts in Marin as well as the state. Currently, the district's API is 695.

In April, the board named as superintendent Bradley, a specialist in raising test scores and improving curriculum in districts where students are predominantly minority and from low-income families. She replaced Rose Marie Roberson who was ousted by the board in one of its initial steps in changing the direction of the district.

Baatin completes the administrative changes the board hopes will result in a new approach to learning in the district, one focused on mastering basic skills and improving test scores.

The district's test scores are among the lowest in the state.

Contact Don Speich via e-mail at dspeich@marinij.com