BHUSD Hires Permanent Beverly Vista Principal

The Board of Education has hired a permanent principal for , marking the first time in several years that permanent administrators are in place at all five city schools.

Martin Powers, currently the principal of Brookside Upper School in Marin County, will replace  starting July 1. Powers is expected to visit the campus Friday to meet students and faculty for the first time since the board voted unanimously last week to hire him.

“Dr. Powers is a principal with a skill set that closely aligns with the top three characteristics identified in the BV principal survey conducted a few months ago," Superintendent Gary Woods said in a statement. The characteristics include being responsive, focusing on instruction, being comfortable with dissent and advocating for a rigorous instructional program.

Powers’ classroom experience includes teaching grades two through eight as well as coaching high school varsity sports. Prior to working in Marin County, he served as principals of schools in Illinois and Wisconsin. 

The hiring of Powers also marks the first time in several years that the Beverly Hills Unified School District has hired someone from outside the district to become principal. Most BHUSD principals and assistant principals are promoted from teaching positions within the district.

Since becoming superintendent last July, Woods has encouraged the district to consider outside candidates for senior jobs. “Good districts are aggressive” in their recruiting, he said last week.

The appointment of Powers ends years of interim administrators at BHUSD. Stern has served as interim principal of Beverly Vista for two years, while Beverly Hills High School Principal was interim principal for six months before being named to the permanent position in December 2010. was interim BHUSD superintendent for a year before Woods joined the district.

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