The Talbot County Board of Education approved several administrative appointments for the 2018-2019 school year at a special meeting held on June 12. Mrs. Alison Strickland has been appointed as Assistant Principal at White Marsh Elementary School; Mrs. Carolanne Burkhardt will become Assistant Principal at Easton Middle School; Mr. Corey Devaric will become Assistant Principal at Chapel District Elementary School; and Mrs. LuAnn McKelvey will become Assistant Principal at St. Michaels Elementary School.
Mrs. Strickland is a graduate of Easton High School. She attended St. Mary’s College of Maryland and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Studies and a Master of Arts in Teaching. She taught kindergarten at White Marsh Elementary School for four years before moving to Easton Middle School as a sixth grade language arts teacher. During her time at Easton Middle School, she obtained her school administration certification from Towson University. In 2016, she was appointed to the administrative intern position at Easton Elementary School-Moton. In 2017, Strickland was named assistant principal at Easton Middle School.
Mrs. Strickland is honored to have the opportunity to once again serve the White Marsh community as Assistant Principal, and she looks forward to creating new relationships with the students, staff, and families, as well as reuniting with those who previously worked with at WMES. She and her husband John Strickland are proud mentors through Talbot Mentors. They reside in Easton with their daughter, Bradley.
Mrs. Burkhardt currently teaches second grade at St. Michaels Elementary School. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Reading from East Stroudsburg University and a Masters in Educational Administration from University of Massachusetts Lowell. She began her career at Talbot County Public Schools in 2004 at Easton Elementary School – Moton where she taught second and fifth grade. She was appointed as Administrative Intern at Saint Michaels Middle High School in 2010.
Mrs. Burkhardt is a Nationally Certified Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Trainer, a New Teacher Olweus Trainer, and a New Teacher Mentor. She serves as a Cooperating Teacher for Salisbury University Student Teachers as well as Student Interns from the Teacher Academy at Saint Michaels Middle High, and she is a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coach. She is a Worship Leader and Nursery Coordinator at Royal Oak Community United Methodist Church, and resides in Easton with her husband JR Burkhardt and two children Adam and Sadie.
Mr. Corey Devaric has been in education for 20 years. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from York College and a Master’s Degree in Leadership from Wilmington University. Since coming to Talbot County in 1998, Mr. Devaric has taught multiple grades at Chapel District Elementary School , Easton Elementary School and White Marsh Elementary School. He has administrative experience at Preston Elementary School and Easton Middle School.
Mr. Devaric is certified as an Equity Practitioner and has been the Equity Leader at White Marsh Elementary School for the past three years. Devaric is looking forward to returning to Chapel District Elementary, where he began his teaching career. He resides in Easton with his wife Lisa and four children Olivia, Winfield, Georgia and Logan. When Mr. Devaric is not at school, he enjoys running and biking.
Mrs. McKelvey earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, a M.Ed.in Early Childhood Education and Administration Certification from Salisbury University. She began her career at TCPS in 1990 at Tilghman Elementary where she has served in numerous capacities, from teaching pre-kindergarten to fifth grades, as well as physical education. She was appointed as an Administrative Intern in 2016.
Mrs. McKelvey is certified as an Equity Practitioner and is a member of the Equity Team. She is a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coordinator; School Improvement Team Member, and serves on the Tilghman Elementary School PTO. She also teaches Sunday School at Royal Oak United Methodist Church, and is a Volunteer Basketball Coach for St. Michaels Community Center. She and her husband Scott reside in St. Michaels and have two sons, Jacob and Kyle and a granddaughter, Riley.
“These new leaders will have a tremendous impact on the learning environment, overall school culture and community,” said Dr. Kelly Griffith, Superintendent of Schools. “Their enthusiasm, experience, and commitment to our mission will be an asset in these essential leadership positions.”
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