New Principals Appointed at Woodbury, Onaway

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio – New principals have been appointed at two Shaker Heights schools, effective this summer.

Barbara Whitaker will become principal of Woodbury Elementary School (grades 5-6), replacing Rosemary Weltman, who is retiring. Whitaker joined the Shaker faculty as an intern psychologist for the 1978-79 school year, with 11 years of teaching experience in Cleveland, both in a regular elementary classroom and in reading. She was hired as school psychologist for Shaker in the 1979-80 school year, and had added responsibilities as staff assistant at Mercer beginning in 1990-91. She became principal at Onaway in September 1997. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Kent State University and a master’s from John Carroll University.

Lynn Cowen will replace Whitaker as principal of Onaway Elementary School (K-4). Cowen came to Shaker in 1987 with five years’ teaching experience, beginning as a Literary Projects teacher at Ludlow and subsequently a second-grade teacher at Lomond. She was appointed assistant principal at Lomond in 1994 and has spent the past year as associate principal at the Middle School. She has also written and implemented numerous grants to reform mathematics instruction and has taught at the university level. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia, master’s degrees in teaching and administration from John Carroll, and a doctorate in urban education and administration from Cleveland State University.

In addition, J. Lindsay Florence will return to Shaker Heights Middle School as an assistant principal. He joined the Shaker faculty in 1992 as a physical education teacher with four years’ teaching experience in Garfield Heights and Twinsburg. He became a staff assistant at the Middle School and was appointed assistant principal in 1997. In 1999-2000, he served as a principal with the Willow Run Community Schools in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and returned to Shaker in fall 2001 as an assistant principal at Woodbury. Florence holds a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Ohio Northern University and a master’s in educational administration from Cleveland State University.

“These three outstanding administrators are highly experienced and eminently well qualified for their new roles in the District,” Superintendent of Schools Mark Freeman said in announcing the appointments. “We will make every effort to make the transitions in building leadership as smooth as possible, and I know that Ms. Whitaker, Dr. Cowen, and Mr. Florence can count on the high degree of parental support that characterizes Shaker. I wish, too, to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Weltman for her years of creative and energetic service to the Shaker Heights schools, and to wish her well in her retirement.”

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