Rose Dunn moves up to school district level
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

Rose Dunn

As principal of Round Meadow Elementary School in Hidden Hills, Rose Dunn led her school with aplomb and a keen focus on academic success. Dunn will now share her wealth of knowledge at the Las Virgenes Unified School District in her new position as director of elementary education.

Dunn said she applied for the job when Ann Eklund retired from the post.

"I thought it was a good opportunity to make an impact at the policy-making level," Dunn said. "And I have a real heart for elementary education."

Superintendent Donald Zimring agrees that Dunn possesses the heart for helping elementary students achieve academic and social success at school.

"We are so fortunate that we have so many talented people who can step in," Zimring said. "Rose has such deep core values, and she brings perspective that so many people can't bring."

Dunn's perspective, gleaned from more than 18 years of experience with the Las Virgenes district, started as kindergarten teacher at Lupin Hill Elementary in Calabasas.

She moved up the ranks, first as an administrative intern at Lupin, followed by an assistant principal post and then principal of Round Meadow.

"Being a principal let me hit the ground running," Dunn said about her new position. "There's still a lot more to learn. I'm excited about the opportunity."

Dunn is also excited about the launch of the Las Virgenes Community Learning Center, a new alternative school located on the campus of A.E. Wright Middle School.

The new director of elementary education likes the hands-on educational style proposed for the new school, and used the methods as a kindergarten and firstgrade teacher.

"I do think that elementary school is the place to look at magnet or alternative programs to ensure we're meeting everyone's needs," Dunn said.

The full integration of technology at the elementary level is another area Dunn hopes to make a difference.

While the district continues the process of rolling out new hightech equipment district-wide and training teachers in its use, there's so much more to come, said Dunn.

"Data Driven" computerized report cards will allow for seamless access between teachers at each grade level, and will eventually allow teachers to make better decisions about students and programs, she said. Eventually, identifying trends by tracking students' progress from grade to grade and programs will continually improve.

"The capability is pretty amazing," Dunn said. But for now, training teachers how to fully capitalize upon the new technology is her first priority. "The transition process will be hard, but then it will be great," she said.

Dunn has lived in the Monte Nido area of Calabasas for 24 years.

While Dunn grew up in North San Diego County, her husband, Phil, and their two children are products of the Las Virgenes district. Phil Dunn attended A.E. Wright Middle School and Agoura High School.

Dunn enjoys hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains and kayaking.

"Las Virgenes has been just a tremendous district in which to work, and have my kids in," Dunn said. "One of my favorite parts of giving tours at the elementary level is saying (to parents and students), we're part of the Las Virgenes family. We've lived that."