The James Logan Courier

By Rick La Plante, New Haven Schools Director of School and Community Relations
Anthony La Rue, principal at Eastin Elementary School for the past two years, will become principal of Cesar Chavez Middle School for the 2012-13 school year, and Jesus Varela, assistant principal at Alvarado Middle School, will be promoted to principal for 2012-13, per recommendations announced today by New Haven Unified School District Superintendent Kari McVeigh.

Debi Knoth, veteran principal at Searles Elementary School, will replace Mr. La Rue at Eastin, and current Alvarado Middle School principal Hui Stevens will replace Ms. Knoth at Searles.

“I have cherished my time at Eastin; this is a very special school with a great staff and a very involved parent community,” Mr. La Rue said. “I am eager to move up to the middle school level and I’m looking forward to this new opportunity at CCMS. I will make it a priority, as I did at Eastin, to be responsive to staff and to listen to the school community, and to work together with all stakeholders.”

Mr. La Rue will replace Alberto Solorzano at CCMS. Mr. Solorzano, who oversaw the successful merger of CCMS and Barnard-White Middle School student bodies after the latter school closed in 2008, is pursuing a position nearer his Pleasanton home.

Ms. Knoth will take over at Eastin after spending the past 12 years at Searles.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my years at Searles. We have a very close-knit staff and a very special community of students and parents, and I will miss them,” she said. "I believe change brings new opportunities for growth, and after 12 years at the same site, I look forward to the opportunity of working together with the students, staff and parents of the Eastin School community."

Ms. Stevens will replace Ms. Knoth at Searles after spending two years as principal at Alvarado Middle. Ms. Stevens started her administrative career at the elementary level.

“Serving as a middle school principal has been a tremendous experience for me, and I’m grateful to the staff and community of AMS. I have enjoyed and learned a lot from my experiences with middle school students,” she said. “I am very excited to return to the elementary level to focus on early literacy, and I look forward to joining the Searles family.”

Mr. Varela has been an assistant principal at AMS for the past four years, before which he served as a house principal at James Logan High School.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to be a principal, especially here at AMS, where we have an excellent staff, engaged parents and so many wonderful students. I’ve gotten to know the AMS community very well during these past four years, and I think that will be a tremendous asset for me as I become the principal.”