Selection committee recommends Tiffany Yatzek for Lincoln Elementary principal in Adrian

ADRIAN — An educator with 21 years of experience in the classroom has been selected to be the next principal at Lincoln Elementary School in Adrian.

Pending approval from the Adrian Public Schools Board of Education, an interview committee has recommended Tiffany Yatzek for the position, a news release from the Adrian schools said. The board, the release said, is expected to consider approving Yatzek as Lincoln’s new principal at its June 13 meeting.

If approved by the board, Yatzek will succeed longtime Lincoln Elementary Principal Sam Skeels, who was recently hired by the school board as the principal at Adrian High School, starting with the 2022-23 school year.

Yatzek is currently a special education teacher at Milan Area Schools. While at Milan, the release said, Yatzek served on numerous leadership teams and committees such as the Positive Behavior and Intervention and Supports Building Leadership Team, school improvement committees, and numerous curricula improvement committees. She also served as the interim principal of the kindergarten-second grade elementary.

Prior to teaching at Milan Area Schools, Yatzek taught special education at Morenci Area Schools for five years. She holds a master's degree in school administration and supervision from the University of Toledo, and currently resides in Adrian with her husband, Derrick, and their three children, who all attend Adrian Public Schools.

“I'm honored to be given an opportunity to serve in such a supportive community and am eager to begin working collaboratively with the dedicated and caring staff at Lincoln Elementary to provide positive, purposeful and enriching experiences for our students,” Yatzek said in the release.

School board trustee Michael Ballard, a member of the Lincoln Elementary principal interview committee, called Yatzek “a positive, experienced educator who will lead and transition into our APS family seamlessly.”

"From the initial interview, I was impressed with Tiffany’s ability to capture the complex role of the principal and her inclusive plan to move Lincoln Elementary school forward," Lincoln Elementary parent Dalila John said in the release. "Her knowledge, energy, compassion and dedication will be a tremendous asset to the staff, students and families at Lincoln."

Hiring Lincoln’s new principal will be the third administrative search and hiring process completed since Nate Parker took over the district's superintendent position in April. Principal positions have been filled by Skeels at Adrian High School and by Adam Bonschoter at Springbrook Middle School. Before becoming superintendent, Parker was the middle school's principal since 2010.

Parker praised Yatzek, saying she was selected from “an impressive pool of applicants.”

“Throughout the interview process, she clearly demonstrated her ability to lead,” he said in the release. “Her expertise in literacy, behavior interventions and experience with implementing systems will be an asset to Lincoln Elementary and the Adrian school district. I am excited to welcome her to our team of top-notch building administrators.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Selection committee recommends Tiffany Yatzek for Lincoln principal