Coronado Unified School District Superintendent Jeff Felix announced today that Whitney DeSantis has been selected as the new principal of Village Elementary School for the 2012-2013 school year. Mrs. DeSantis is currently the principal of Alvin Dunn Elementary in San Marcos. Current Village principal Deeba Zaher retires at the end of this school year.
“After viewing over 90 applications, interviewing 12 applicants, and then completing an exhaustive second interview of the top three candidates, we are delighted to announce the selection of Whitney,” said Dr. Felix. “Her references couldn’t say enough about her strong character traits and her vast elementary experience speaks for itself.” Felix said the Governing Board will consider her appointment at their regular meeting on April 26th.
Whitney DeSantis has been an educator for 18 years beginning as a teacher’s aide. She arrived in San Marcos Unified four years ago beginning as an Assistant Principal and BTSA Administrator. Prior to San Marcos Unified she was an instructional leader, teaching all grades K-5 at the Diocese of San Diego and at Temecula Valley Unified. She served on several leadership committees, opened two elementary schools, served as a guided reading coach, developed and coordinated several intervention and enrichment programs, and provided professional development on research based instructional strategies at the site and district level.
She received her bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University, and earned an administrative credential, teaching credential, and master’s degree from California State University San Marcos. She is currently enrolled in Walden University’s doctoral program.
A native of Virginia, this is Whitney’s second career, working at several military bases and installations in civil service on the east coast prior to arriving in San Diego in 1992.
Whitney and her family are active duty military. Her husband is a naval officer and her son is completing the Special Warfare program and they are both stationed at the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado. Her daughter is a student at CSUSM finishing her Special Education program.
During Whitney’s free time, she enjoys family, friends, and her two beagles.
