Paul Gutzler looks forward to getting to know the community and the school — and to working collaboratively — when he takes over as Methow Valley Elementary School principal in July.
Interviewed earlier to be Liberty Bell principal
Paul Gutzler, currently assistant principal at Mount Baker High School in Deming, Washington — and previously a special education teacher — will take the helm as principal of Methow Valley Elementary School starting July 1. Gutzler, one of four finalists for the job, was the unanimous choice of the district’s search committee of administrators, teachers and parents.
Gutzler and the three other finalists spent a day in interviews with school staff and parents, got a campus tour from students, and addressed a community forum on Friday (March 8). They also led a reading activity for first-graders and completed a writing assignment.
This was Gutzler’s second appearance at Methow schools in just over a month, since he was one of four finalists for the Liberty Bell High School principal position in February.
“The entire interview process on Friday confirmed what I believed to be true about Methow Valley Elementary — it is a great place for kids,” said Gutzler after his appointment. “I was impressed with so many aspects of the school community: inquisitive first-graders with a sense of humor; staff who love kids, seek balance, and support each other; parents who advocate for developing the whole child; and students passionate to share their learning, and lend a hand to their kinder buddy.”
The search committee was unanimous in its support for Gutzler, out of a strong pool of candidates, said Methow Valley School District Superintendent Tom Venable. “He came across as really earnest, honest, humble and student-focused,” said Venable.
Before becoming an administrator, Gutzler spent 10 years as a special-education teacher in Homer, Alaska. His experience in Alaska indicates that Gutzler understands the role schools play in remote, rural communities, said Venable. Gutzler also has a master’s degree in school counseling.
Before joining the Mount Baker administration in the 2018-19 academic year, Gutzler was dean of students at Wade King Elementary School in Bellingham, first in the state to be authorized as an International Baccalaureate (IB) primary years programme. Gutzler was the only candidate with a background in IB, which the Methow Valley adopted three-and-a-half years ago.
At the well-attended community forum, all four candidates were asked about their educational and personal experience, why they wanted to be Methow Valley Elementary principal, and to provide an example of a career success.
Career goal
Being a building principal has been a career goal, said Gutzler. From his time at Wade King Elementary, “I realized I belong in an elementary school,” he said.
Working in special education in Alaska showed him the power of working with students and their families, particularly once they began incorporating home visits, said Gutzler. At Mount Baker, an 800-student school, Gutzler learned the importance of building relationships, even in the context of difficult disciplinary decisions, he said.
Gutzler related a success story from Wade King, where he and other administrators developed programs that incorporate social and emotional learning. Those innovations included hopscotch grids and a push-up wall in the hallways, which offer physical and sensory activities that give students ways to self-regulate, he said.
Gutzler was first exposed to education as a child when he went to work with his mother, who was also a teacher. After studying business administration and a brief career in banking, he got a degree in special education and taught in Portland, Oregon, and Homer, Alaska.
Gutzler was praised by colleagues from Wade King. “He is a consistent, supportive and positive presence for students, teachers and parents. Whether greeting families before school, playing with kids at recess, or supporting teachers in growing their practice, Paul projects an infectious and can-do attitude,” they said. The comments were included in a bio provided by the Methow Valley School District.
Although Venable was a teacher and an administrator in Bellingham before coming to the Methow six years ago, his time there didn’t overlap with Gutzler’s. But the two had a chance meeting last year on the trail during the Sunflower trail run, said Venable.
Gutzler and his wife, Morgan, have a daughter, age 8, and a son, age 6. He enjoys trail running, Nordic skiing, and exploring the outdoors.
Other finalists
There were 12 applicants — four women and eight men from the Pacific Northwest — for the elementary principal job.
The other finalists, all from Washington, were Nathan Coutsoubos, the principal of White Pass Elementary in Randle; Kyle Grunenfelder, the assistant principal of Michael T. Simmons Elementary in Tumwater; and Jordan Radke, dean of students at Dutch Hill Elementary in Snohomish.
Coutsoubos told the public forum that he focuses on two key words as an administrator — challenge and joy. Coutsoubos taught in Alaska, where he focused on place-based, project-oriented, culturally relevant classes as a science teacher for a largely Yup’ik student body. Before that, he worked as a biologist for 10 years.
Before becoming principal in Tumwater (his hometown), Grunenfelder taught kindergarten through 12th grade in Tacoma in a program designed to inspire students in high-need schools. He prizes the opportunities in small school districts and said his philosophy of education aligns with the IB program.
Radke has a background in special education and in Spanish. Inspired in part by the encouragement he got from a principal when he was a high school freshman, Radke makes it his mission to support students, teachers and the entire community. By breaking down barriers, all kids will succeed, he said.
Methow Valley Elementary principal Bob Winters announced his intention to retire at the end of this school year.
