Westminster : School District Hires New Administrators

The Westminster School District has hired Barbara Fileto to be the new assistant superintendent for educational services and has named new principals for Eastwood Elementary and Johnson Middle schools.

Fileto, who recently served as a principal in Carpinteria, will start work immediately. Her duties include overseeing curriculum and instruction, staff development, special education, child care and grant projects, said spokeswoman Audrey Brown.

Fileto replaces Keith (Bill) Lawson, a popular assistant superintendent who recently retired after 32 years with the district.

Fluent in Spanish, Fileto was bilingual education coordinator for the Goleta Union School District from 1978 to 1986, and was director of bilingual education for the Carpinteria School District from 1989 to 1990.

Fileto holds a degree in humanities and philosophy from Northeastern Illinois University and two master’s degrees, in education administration and bilingual education, from UC Santa Barbara. She earned her doctorate in educational administration from UC Santa Barbara in June.

The district’s two new principals will be Ed Kissee, who will head Eastwood Elementary School, and Christine Harrison, who will take over at Johnson Middle School.

Kissee served for eight years as teacher and summer principal for the Orange Unified School District. He joined the Westminster School District last year as an assistant principal at Warner Middle School, Brown said.

Kissee holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from Cal State Fullerton, a master’s degree in education from San Diego’s United States International University and a school administrative credential from UC Irvine. He replaces Alvena Graham, who retired in June.

Harrison has 16 years’ experience as teacher and administrator in middle schools and served most recently as an assistant principal at Vista View Middle School in Fountain Valley, Brown said.

Harrison has a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies and English literature from Cal State Long Beach, a master’s degree in education administration from Azusa Pacific University and an administrative credential.

Harrison replaces Dale Bischof, who has moved to DeMille Elementary School.