Crescenta Valley High School will welcome its new principal on July 1.

By Mary O’KEEFE

Linda Gubler Junge is ready to take the helm as the new principal at Crescenta Valley High School.

Junge has had an impressive career in the field of education for 16 years. She has been a teacher, a school administrator and a district administrator.

Her roots are in teaching. She taught high school Advanced Placement Spanish but has also worked as assistant principal at Glendale High School and, most recently, principal at Muir Elementary School. Between working at Glendale and Muir, Junge spent time at the district level in assessment and evaluation and public information. Typically once someone is at the district level, they stay there but Junge said the dual immersion program at local schools called to her and that is why she transferred to Muir Elementary as principal.

“Timing is everything,” she said of her applying to CVHS.

She had been talking to Superintendent Dick Sheehan about going back to her secondary roots. When she found there would be an opening at CV, she decided to apply.

A few weeks ago at the CVHS MacDonald Auditorium, Sheehan spoke about the interview process for potential principals. The parents at the meeting shared their “wish list” of what they would want in a new principal. Sheehan said he would take those suggestions, along with those shared by local teachers and students, into consideration during the interviews.

Junge admitted to having some nervous times during the interviews, but in the end it seemed to be the right time all the way around.

“It is good timing and I think a good match,” she said.

One of her biggest supporters is her husband Jason, a CVHS graduate.

“Jason is a CV alum. He was very encouraging,” she said. “He can’t wait to go to the [games].”

She said she is looking forward to working with students, adding she has found high school students to be smart and engage in their community when given respect and listened to.

Junge has already met with teachers and has reached out to the community including local chambers, the CV Town Council and PTSA.

Maintaining that “timing is everything,” her husband’s class reunion is coming up.

“We were planning on going anyway but now it will be funny … I am the principal of the school,” she said.

Her mother-in-law will also be talking about the new principal this weekend – at her CVHS 50th reunion.

Another new addition to the CV area is Suzanne Risse, who will be taking the position of principal at Monte Vista Elementary. The new assistant principal at Rosemont Middle School, replacing Asst. Principal Ann Amrhein, has yet to be announced.

  Dan HOLM, Mary Okeefe