Administrative Announcements for 2026-27

Below is a summary of all adjustments to principal, assistant principal and other administrative-level positions across the district to-date for the 2026-27 school year.

We will continue to update this post with any additional administrative changes throughout the summer to prepare for the upcoming school year.

District Level

Dr. Robin Shobe, Director of Early Childhood Education

We are excited to welcome Dr. Robin Shobe to our team as our incoming director of early childhood education.

Dr. Shobe is an educational leader and former director of Student Services with a diverse career that began in the preschool classroom and evolved through several decades as a Speech-Language Pathologist. She holds a Doctorate in Learning Technologies and is deeply passionate about expanding student access to high-quality learning environments, effective teaching, and purposeful curriculum. Throughout her journey from direct student therapy to district-level administration, her mission has remained focused on creating equitable, inclusive spaces where all young learners can succeed.

Principals

Sara Hamilton – Principal, Swegle Elementary School

Sara Hamilton brings 25 years of experience to our district, most recently serving as principal at Table Rock Elementary School in Southern Oregon. She began her teaching career in Idaho as a kindergarten teacher before moving to Denver, Colorado, taking on multiple roles including being a dual language teacher, curriculum coordinator and assistant principal. From there, Sara moved to Southern Oregon, where she has served as an assistant principal and principal for the past five years at a dual-language school. Sara is excited to join SKPS and looks forward to the opportunities that SKPS and the region will bring.

Mark Harris – Principal, Straub Middle School

Mark Harris brings over 23 years of experience in education, beginning his career in London, England, before moving to the United States in 2010 and joining Salem-Keizer Public Schools. Along the way, he has served as a math teacher, an instructional coach, a behavior specialist, and as an assistant principal. Each step along the way has strengthened his belief that strong relationships and a commitment to supporting the whole child are essential to student success.

Harris believes that middle school is a critical time for students to discover who they are, build confidence, and take meaningful risks in their learning. He is committed to working collaboratively with students, families and the community to create a school culture grounded in respect, high expectations and a strong sense of belonging.

Brad Shreve – Principal, McNary High School

Brad Shreve is coming to McNary with more than 30 years of experience serving students in multiple educational roles across Oregon. Shreve began his career as a high school science teacher and coach for 10 years. For more than 20 years, he has been a school administrator, including 14 years as a high school principal. He is very passionate about listening to students and families while also building on our community's strengths. His focus is on helping students leverage their education to gain the skills and confidence they need to succeed on whatever path they choose.

Chad Barkes – Principal, ECHS and Roberts

Chad Barkes has spent the last 11 years at Sprague High School as an administrator in various roles. He played a foundational role in building a positive culture and climate at Sprague. Barkes carries a strong belief in seeing people as people, creating leadership and inclusion opportunities for all students, and advocating for the needs of our staff, all of which contribute to a healthy working and learning environment. He looks forward to working at Roberts High School and learning about the systems, programs, and community to maximize the student experience.

Patrick Dutcher – Principal, Sprague High School

Patrick Dutcher is an experienced high school leader with more than two decades of service in public education and the past 11 as a High School Administrator. His career has included serving as the principal of both Scio High School and Pendleton High School, where he has led for the past five years. He has also served as a curriculum assistant principal at West Salem High School, a special education teacher, and a coach. These experiences have shaped his belief that strong schools are built through relationships, clear expectations, teamwork, and a relentless focus on students. Known for his approachable, student-centered leadership, he excels at building deeply connected school cultures where students, staff, and families thrive together.

Mari Vásquez – Principal, McKay High School

Mari Vásquez worked as an educator in Salem-Keizer Public Schools for ten years prior to transitioning to an assistant principal role in a neighboring district. After three years, Vásquez returned to Salem-Keizer. In her role as assistant principal at McKay for the last four years, she has helped lead efforts focused on strengthening teaching and learning, driven by a steadfast belief that every student deserves access to a high-quality education.

She is a passionate, student-centered educator who is looking forward to collaborating with students, staff, families, and community members to build on McKay’s successes together. She is committed to McKay and is honored to continue serving the Royal Scot community.

Ranae Quiring – Principal on Special Assignment Supporting the Discipline Office

Ranae Quiring has served as McKay’s principal since the 2021-22 school year. Her experiences as a leader have also continued her growth as in advocacy and learning about the power of community. In her new role, she is committed to supporting others to grow and recognize their skill and value. She is dedicated to both learning and leading.

Assistant Principals

Kaylee Martz – Assistant Principal, Judson Middle School and EDGE

Kaylee Martz is excited to join Judson Middle School and EDGE as the assistant principal. She brings more than a decade of experience in education, having served as a teacher, instructional coach, academic success coordinator, assistant principal, and most recently supporting schools across Salem-Keizer through curriculum and instructional leadership.

Kaylee began her career as a teacher in the Gresham-Barlow School District before joining Salem-Keizer as a teacher and instructional mentor at Houck Middle School. She then served as an assistant principal in a neighboring district, expanding her experience in instructional leadership, student support, and school operations. Throughout her career, she has been passionate about supporting student success, building strong relationships, and creating positive school cultures. After spending the past year supporting schools across Salem-Keizer at the district level, she is excited to return to building leadership and the daily connections with students, staff, and families that make schools such a special place.

Kristina Pemberton – Assistant Principal, Claggett Creek and Houck Middle schools

Kristina Pemberton started her 24-year educational career with Salem-Keizer as an English teacher at the 21st Century Community Schoolhouse, a 9-12 charter school in downtown Salem. She then moved to Early College High School, teaching English and AVID and serving as an instructional coach. During these years, she cultivated her deep passion for staff, student and family collaboration to help students thrive. Kristina then moved to the role of behavior specialist at Lee Elementary School, where she enjoyed helping students develop the social, emotional, and behavioral skills they need to be successful in school.

Kristina believes that positive relationships create positive change and is excited to help nurture and grow positive student connections between school, family, and the community. She is committed to encouraging students to find joy and meaning in learning and to building a supportive student-centered school community.

Zachary Shelton – Assistant Principal, McNary High School

Zach Shelton has served students and families in Salem-Keizer Public Schools for nearly 15 years. He began his career as a pass room supervisor instructional assistant before transitioning to an Emotional Growth Classroom. During this time, Zach was selected to participate in our district's Special Education Cohort, where he earned his teaching credentials and deepened his commitment to supporting students with diverse learning needs.

Zach accepted a position as the EGC teacher at Crossler Middle School, where he taught for several years before joining the team at McNary High School. For the past six years, he has served in multiple roles at McNary, including Learning Resource Center special education teacher, behavior specialist, teacher leader, and volunteer softball coach.

Throughout his career, Zach has been dedicated to building positive relationships with students, supporting staff, and creating inclusive learning environments where all students can be successful. He is passionate about the Keizer community and is excited to continue supporting students, staff, and families in his new role as an assistant principal at McNary High School.

Brandis Piper – Assistant Principal, North Salem High School

Brandis Piper is entering his 14th year in education and is excited to join North Salem for the 2026-27 school year. He is coming from Central High School, where he served as the athletic director and assistant principal. Before that role, he spent eight years at McKay serving as an instructional coach and teacher. In addition, Mr. Piper coached football, basketball, and track and field for several years.

Mr. Piper was raised in Hillsboro. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Lewis and Clark College, where he played receiver for the football team. He received his administrative license from Portland State University. He is married and has two children.

Mariana Garcia Avilez - Assistant Principal at Grant Community and Scott Elementary Schools

Mariana Garcia Avilez began her career in 2014 as an instructional assistant, supporting multilingual learners and helping strengthen partnerships between schools and families. Over the years, she has served in a variety of roles, including special education assistant, special education facilitator, case manager, early childhood specialist, and college instructor.

Most recently, Mariana has served as a dean of students in the Hillsboro School District, where she led school climate and culture initiatives, collaborated with attendance, equity, and care teams, supported student behavior and safety systems, and partnered closely with families and staff to promote student success.

Mariana is excited to join the Salem-Keizer community and shares a strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and creating schools where every student feels a strong sense of belonging.

Rubi Hovenden – Assistant Principal, Chávez and Hoover Elementary Schools

Rubi Hovenden, an immigrant from Mexico City and proud Salem-Keizer graduate, has served Salem-Keizer students, families, and educators since 2007. Her experience spans roles as a bilingual elementary teacher, district mentor, reading specialist, and program associate in Curriculum and Instruction. Rubi’s leadership philosophy centers on collaboration, empowering the strengths of others, and ensuring every decision remains strategic and student-centered. At the heart of her work is a commitment to building strong family-school partnerships, supporting educators, and promoting equitable outcomes for all students, while ensuring that every student's identity and language are valued and celebrated. Her journey from Salem-Keizer student to educational leader reflects a deep commitment to service and a belief that every learner deserves the opportunity to thrive.

Terra Hernandez – Assistant Principal at Harritt Elementary School

Terra Hernandez brings more than two decades of diverse experience across Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, and Oregon, spanning elementary classroom instruction, instructional and cognitive coaching, and state- and district-level leadership. She most recently served as the assistant director of Special Programs for Central School District. Terra’s expertise lies in collaborative partnering, relational bridging, and driving collective impact across educational sectors. She has dedicated her career to championing student success and equity by building relationships with her community.

Sarah Keck – Assistant Principal at McKay High School

Originally from Arizona, Sarah Keck has served as an educator for the past 15 years. She began her career as a mathematics teacher in Arizona before joining South Salem High School in 2015. During her time at South, Keck was a coach, served in a variety of leadership roles, including Mathematics Department Lead, AVID Co-Coordinator, and Senior Success Team Lead, where she focused on expanding access to rigorous coursework, supporting teacher growth, and improving outcomes for all students.

Keck is passionate about curriculum and instruction, building strong relationships, developing teacher leadership, and creating equitable systems that ensure every student feels supported, challenged, and connected. She looks forward to partnering with the students, families, and staff of McKay High School to help every student thrive.

Chad Christensen – Assistant Principal at McNary High School

Chad Christensen's career in education started as a high school teacher in Las Vegas, Japan, and Lake Oswego. After joining Salem-Keizer Public Schools in 2012, he served in a variety of positions at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, and district services settings. That time includes his role as an instructional coach at Whiteaker Middle School and an assistant principal at Claggett Creek Middle School. Christensen is excited to be at McNary to work with the incredible students, staff, and families in the Keizer community.