The following announcement was emailed out today from PPS:

Dear Cleveland Community,

I am pleased to announce that Jo Ann Wadkins, a passionate educator who puts students at the center of every decision, will be the new principal at Cleveland High School.

Jo Ann succeeds Paul Cook, who served as interim principal to finish the 2019-20 school year starting in February after the resignation of Leo Lawyer. We thank Paul for stepping in and being a steadying force during an unprecedented year.

Jo Ann is a strong instructional leader and systems thinker who is dedicated to using data to drive improvement. She comes to Cleveland from Lincoln High School, where she has served since 2003, including the last two years as vice principal. She played lead roles in key programs and groups, including SCIP (School Continuous Improvement Plan), International Baccalaureate, Site Council and PLC leaders. She was the administrative liaison with the Freshmen Success Teams and curriculum lead for development of the master schedule and course guide.

Before becoming a vice principal, Jo Ann served as a teacher at Lincoln for 15 years, teaching IB physics, astronomy and Theory of Knowledge, and in 2007 won a Presidential Scholars Teacher Recognition Award from the U.S. Department of Education. She also was Lincoln’s IB coordinator for five years. She started her career in Chula Vista, Calif., teaching science at two high schools from 1992 to 2001.

“Jo Ann is a skilled educational leader with a diverse array of experience and attributes that make her the perfect applicant for this position,” Kim Bliss, Lincoln’s IB Coordinator and a 1998 graduate of Cleveland, wrote in a letter of recommendation.

Jo Ann earned a Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Trinity University, and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Please join me in welcoming Principal Wadkins to Cleveland.

Shawn Bird, Ed.D.
Chief of Schools