STAFFORD – The Stafford County School Board approved the following appointments of Mark McElwee and William Kuhnert on Tuesday, May 28, during a School Board meeting.
Mr. Mark McElwee, Assistant Principal, T. Benton Gayle Middle School
Mr. McElwee will assume the position of Assistant Principal at Gayle Middle School on July 1, 2019. For the current school year, he is serving as a Teacher on Special Assignment and Special Education Department Chair at Stonewall Jackson High School in Prince William County.
Mr. McElwee also has six years of experience as a special education teacher of students with learning disabilities and autism both at the high school and middle school levels.
As a teacher of students with autism, he developed and executed a “peer buddies” program where students of high academic standing worked on a daily basis with students in his classroom.
Mr. McElwee developed and currently chairs the Social Media Team at Stonewall Jackson that communicates positive news about the school. In addition, he supervises the Credit Recovery Program for seniors and serves as the president of the School Planning Council.
Prior to his career in education, Mr. McElwee served as legislative correspondent to Congressman Frank Wolf for two years.
Mr. McElwee earned a Bachelor of Science degree in public administration with a concentration in criminal justice from James Madison University. He also earned a Master of Education in special education and completed the Education Leadership Certificate Program from George Mason University.
Mr. William Kuhnert, Assistant Principal, Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School
Mr. Kuhnert will assume the position of Assistant Principal at Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School. Mr. Kuhnert is currently a fourth-grade teacher at Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School and has been in that role since 2013.
As a classroom teacher, Mr. Kuhnert has worked collaboratively with special education teachers and content specialists to ensure success for his students. He attended numerous professional development activities, including the Ron Clark Academy and Jostens Renaissance conferences.
Mr. Kuhnert has served as acting administrator in the absence of both his principal and assistant principal. He also attended several teacher recruitment events for SCPS. He began his teaching career at Colonial Beach Elementary School in 2011.
Mr. Kuhnert earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Slippery Rock University and his Postbaccalaureate Elementary Education Certification from Robert Morris University, both in Pennsylvania. He is completing his master’s degree in educational leadership at George Mason University.
