Ralston Middle School Has New Principal

[The following was submitted by the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District.]

The Belmont-Redwood Shores School District announced Friday two administrative appointments at Ralston Middle School. Mr. Joe Funk has been named as Principal and Mr. Jonathon Sanchez has been named as Assistant Principal, both at Ralston Middle School. The District’s Board of Trustees voted to approve Mr. Funk and Mr. Sanchez for these positions on June 20, 2013, at its last meeting of the 2012-13 school year. Both appointments took effect on July 1, 2013.

Mr. Funk comes to Belmont-Redwood Shores with 17 years of middle school experience as an administrator and teacher of history, leadership, and applied technology. Most recently, Mr. Funk served for five years as Assistant Principal at Stanley Middle School in Lafayette, CA. Prior to his work in middle schools, Mr. Funk was a Financial Analyst at Oracle Corporation in Redwood Shores. Mr. Funk holds a BA in Government Studies from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, CA, and an MA in Educational Administration from San Francisco State University. Mr. Funk lives in San Francisco with his wife, Stephanie, who is also an educator.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District as the Principal of Ralston Middle School,” said Mr. Funk. “This honor represents a long personal and professional journey that has come nearly full circle. I was raised just over the hill in San Mateo where I attended Laurel Elementary, Abbott Middle, and Hillsdale High School.”

Mr. Funk shared, “All children deserve to be challenged to exceed their grasp. I believe that among the many duties of a public school is that it provides all children with the tools and support needed to meet this challenge. I believe that Ralston is a school where these beliefs are a strong part of the culture, and I am most fortunate to be joining its community.

Superintendent Dr. Michael Milliken added, “We are very excited to have Mr. Funk join our administrative team. The District leadership was very careful in its search for a new principal at Ralston, and we included parents, teachers, and administrators. Mr. Funk shined in the selection process, he has a strong track record of successful middle school teaching and leadership experience, and he has personal ties to our area. We have absolute confidence in Mr. Funk as our new Principal at Ralston Middle School, and we are eager for the school community to meet him.”

New Ralston Assistant Principal Jonathon Sanchez was promoted from his position as Dean of Students, a role in which he demonstrated a strong capacity for school leadership. Prior to the Dean position, Mr. Sanchez was a 6th and 7th grade history teacher at Ralston. Mr. Sanchez was

born in Santa Cruz, grew up in the Bay Area, and earned his BA in Religious Studies from Multnomah University in Portland, OR, and his MA in Teaching from Concordia University, also in Portland. Prior to teaching at Ralston in 2010, Mr. Sanchez taught 8th grade English and history at Sunrise Middle School in the North Clackamas School District in the Portland area.

Mr. Sanchez shared, “I have really enjoyed getting to work with the Ralston staff, students, and parents. I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that my new role as Vice Principal will bring. I appreciate all of the support that I have received from the Belmont- Redwood Shores community, and I am excited for next year.”

Dr. Milliken added, “Mr. Sanchez’s effectiveness as Dean of Students made his selection as Assistant Principal very straightforward. He has great credibility, and we are excited about his potential as a school leader. Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Funk will make an excellent core leadership team at Ralston.”