Leadership and Dedicated Staff: Empowering Student Success at Sonora Elementary School

Growing up in Orland, California, I always had a passion for teaching. Pursuing this dream, I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Chico State University in 1996. I did my student teaching at Chico High School. Eventually, I landed my first job at Colusa High School, where I had the opportunity to teach a range of courses from Algebra 1 to AP Calculus while also coaching multiple sports.

In 2001, I moved to Pleasant Valley High School in Chico to continue teaching mathematics and coaching basketball. After five years of service at Chico Unified, I became a math coach for the Colusa County Office of Education. My role involved working with teachers to improve math instruction under a three-year grant. Upon completing the grant, I became a school administrator in my hometown in 2009. I was fortunate enough to serve as principal at Fairview Elementary in Orland, CA, a school I attended as a child.

In 2012, my wife Ashley, who grew up in Sonora, informed me about the principal opening at Sonora Elementary, where she went to school. I applied, and it was the best decision for our family. I have been blessed to lead our school for the past 11 years, and I am incredibly proud of our school. As an administrator and parent at Sonora Elementary, my main priority is, and will always be, serving our fantastic community. My wife and I have three children, all of whom have graduated from Sonora El.

Kristie Quinn came to us from Santa Cruz County, where she started her teaching career in middle school 26 years ago and has since had the opportunity to teach all grade levels, K-12. Kristie earned her Masters of Education in Leadership and Supervision from San Jose State, has served in numerous administrative roles over the years, and brings a wealth of expertise to her role with us as Assistant Principal. She has served as a county, district, and site RTI and ELD implementation specialist, reading and math coach, grant writer, and staff development coordinator at the State, regional, district, and site level, as well as coordinating roles in technology services, human resources, and extended learning. Kristie served as an Assistant Principal for a K-6 school and has had administrative roles at the middle school level. Most recently, she worked in the high school environment as a Technology Innovation Coach, serving staff, administration, students, and parents.

Kristie has three adult children and enjoyed bringing them up to a family cabin in Twain Harte. Her kids learned to ski at Dodge Ridge, and many family times were spent on the lakes and exploring the surrounding areas. She fell in love with the area and had the opportunity to relocate while working remotely.

Kristie’s passion is networking and building relationships that support educating the whole child, enhancing creativity, making our environments more efficient, and connecting us globally while maintaining safety and security. Kristie is excited to be part of the SES community.