When Palisades Charter Elementary School’s new principal Tami Weiser entered her office for the first time on Monday morning, she was greeted with a special surprise: a large card made out of blue construction paper with the phrase ‘Welcome To Our School’ was sitting on her desk. The card was signed on the inside by students of Miss Wong’s kindergarten class. ”’It’s adorable,’ Weiser told the Palisadian-Post, admiring the card. ‘Everyone at the school has been very welcoming.’ ”Weiser, 41, joins Pali Elementary from Hamlin Elementary in Canoga Park, an LAUSD school where she had been assistant principal for two years. She previously was a teacher for a decade, an Annenberg Grant Coordinator for two years and served as a magnet coordinator at San Jose Elementary Highly Gifted Magnet. ”Weiser said her desire to become a principal was something that happened over time. ‘When I was a teacher, people always said to me, ‘Oh, you’d be a great principal,’ and I said, ‘No, never.’ But as you grow and evolve, your interests and talents grow and evolve as well.’ ”’Thrilled’ and ‘elated’ are the words Weiser used to describe her feelings after receiving the phone call that she had been hired for the job. ”’I really wanted to work for a high-performing school and be part of a small village community,’ said Weiser. ‘This school is really a perfect match for my interests and talents.’ ”Jackie Sidman, a teacher at Pali Elementary, chaired the search committee, which comprised Pali Elementary parents, teachers and administrative staff. ”’We felt that Tami would be an excellent fit with the school,’ said Sidman. ‘Everyone on the committee felt that she was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and very experienced.’ ”Weiser’s duties will include being an instructional leader, overseeing operational projects and maintaining the school’s budget and community relations. ”’The most important thing to me is making sure each individual student’s needs are being met,’ said Weiser, who describes herself as a ‘visionary thinker, who is skilled in human relations.’ ”This week, Weiser has been observing each class and joining the students at recess and lunch. She also hopes ‘to call each teacher individually into my office and visit with them for 10 to 15 minutes to get to know them on a personal level, find out their interests and see what support they need from me as an administrator.’ ”Born in Seattle and raised in Denver, Weiser moved to Los Angeles in 1981 to attend UCLA, where she earned a B.A. in educational psychology and an M.A. in elementary education. She also received a master’s in elementary administration from Cal State Northridge and attended a one-year leadership program that teaches educational policy at the local, state and federal levels. ”Weiser and her husband Robert live in Oak Park with their 14-year-old daughter, Michelle, and 12-year-old son, Jordan.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
