By Mary O’KEEFE

Two principal candidates have been announced for Monte Vista Elementary and Crescenta Valley High schools.

Dr. Linda Gubler Junge has been announced as the candidate for the principal’s position at Crescenta Valley High. Junge has been the principal for Muir Elementary in Glendale. Prior to that, she served as GUSD’s director of public information, director of assessment and evaluation and is a former Spanish teacher.

Suzanne Risse has been chosen as the candidate for principal at Monte Vista Elementary. She has been serving as principal at RD White Elementary School in Glendale. Prior to that, she served as assistant principal, a teacher specialist and has taught in the district for many years.

During a community meeting on May 29, parents shared their views of what they wanted in a principal for CVHS. A similar meeting was held for the principal of Monte Vista. During the CVHS meeting, some of the “wish list” items included a principal who would respect students’ opinion, place children first, celebrate the school’s diversity and be kind as well as tough enough to deal with any issues that needed a strong leader. The parents also expressed that they wanted a principal who understood their community and CVHS-specific concerns.

GUSD Superintendent Dick Sheehan said he would keep the suggestions in mind as he interviewed applicants for the job.

“[Junge’s] husband is a CV High School graduate; she has ties to the Church of Latter-day Saints in La Crescenta and she used to babysit a family off Briggs Avenue,” Sheehan said of Junge’s familiarity with the foothills community.

He added that when he arrived at the district as assistant superintendent, Junge was then the director of public information.

“She was the best [PIO] I had ever worked with,” he said.

Risse has connections to the community as well with children in CV schools.

“She has a kid at CVHS and one at Fremont Elementary and had a child graduate from CVHS,” Sheehan said.

Junge and Risse will have to wait until June 18 to be officially named in the designated principal positions. The final decision will come from the Glendale Unified School District school board at its June 18 meeting.

  Mary Okeefe