Interim Principals Unanimously Appointed to Permanent Roles on Tuesday Night
Burlington, VT On Tuesday night, the Burlington Board of School Commissioners unanimously approved Superintendent Tom Flanagan’s recommendation that Sabrina Westdijk and John Oliver be named principals of Burlington High School (BHS) and Edmunds Elementary School (EMS), respectively. Both Westdijk and Oliver had been serving interim roles at their schools.
“I’m incredibly pleased that the board has approved my recommendation to name Sabrina and John as principals, to continue the work they have each started in their schools,” said Flanagan. “I am proud of the work they are doing to improve our schools, provide deep learning experiences, build cultures where every student feels welcome, and ensure that all learners are challenged, empowered, and engaged.”
Westdijk has worked in BSD for the past several years, serving as an Assistant Principal and Principal at Edmunds Middle School before joining the BHS team last fall. Since stepping into the role of BHS Interim Principal in 2023, she has made great strides improving systems, supporting anti-racist teaching practices, and focusing on student achievement. Prior to entering administration, she was a classroom teacher for fourteen years as an elementary art teacher and a secondary English Language Arts teacher.
Oliver stepped into the role of Interim Principal at EMS in 2023. Before joining BSD, Oliver spent 18 years as an educator and administrator in Vermont, including most recently serving as Director of Community Education Initiatives at Centerpoint, Winooski and South Burlington. Since joining BSD, he has worked hard to focus on student well-being and engagement and to build a restorative culture.
Both Oliver and Westdijk’s appointments are effective immediately.
