West Marin and Inverness Schools will welcome a new principal this fall. Christy Stocker, a longtime educator in Marin County, has been tapped for the role previously held by Beth Nolan, who announced her departure in February.
Originally from Stevenson, Wash., a small town in the Columbia River Gorge, Ms. Stocker happened into education nearly 30 years ago—“sort of by chance,” she said. She began her career teaching Latin after graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in classics, then spent the next decade at middle and high schools in the Seattle area before going back to school herself. In 2006, she graduated from Seattle University with a master’s in education.
That same year, Ms. Stocker moved to Marin and took her first administrative position as principal of Nicasio School, where she also taught language arts. But after 10 years, she felt a pull to return to the classroom, and she left in 2016. She taught at several schools in Marin, including Hall Middle School, Kent Middle School and Redwood High School.
“I got a sense of what was happening in the county and saw what sorts of new educational initiatives were getting more exposure at larger schools,” Ms. Stocker said. “It gave me a really broad perspective of where students in this county were headed.”
With the teaching bug out of her system and a deeper understanding of Marin’s educational needs, Ms. Stocker accepted an interim position as principal of Sinaloa Middle School in Novato last year. The district soon offered her the permanent position, but then Ms. Stocker saw the opening in West Marin.
“It sung to my heart,” she said. “There’s something about that small-town vibe. I think it’s at my core. That’s what keeps drawing me back to these smaller, intimate environments.”
Though Ms. Stocker’s contract with Shoreline Unified School District doesn’t officially start until July 1, she’s already begun developing a rapport with the community. Earlier this month, she attended an interactive discussion at West Marin School facilitated by parents and administrators. The meeting, called Encuentro and held in both Spanish and English, was focused on exploring ways to better connect the school with West Marin’s abundant resources.
Delimar Sanchez Padilla, a parent who helped organize the meeting, said one goal was to provide a space for parents to express their concerns in productive ways. She hopes to see similar events in the future.
Adam Jennings, the district superintendent, praised Ms. Stocker’s professionalism, which he’s been a witness to first-hand. “I think Christy’s wealth of varied educational experiences, as well as her knowledge of West Marin, make her a great fit for our school,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed any opportunity that I have had to work with her, and I believe she will be a great addition to our team.”
Leadership at West Marin and Inverness Schools has seen periods of turbulence dating to before Ms. Nolan’s tenure, which began in 2019. The year prior, the district demoted former principal Matt Nagle after he challenged the longstanding former Marin County Superintendent of Schools in the 2018 election. Mr. Nagle’s replacement, Chris Eckert, previously a sixth-grade teacher at West Marin, took an unexpected leave soon thereafter. Rey Mayoral, a longtime Marin County principal, came out of retirement in December to fill in, but resigned a week later when a scandal from his past that involved alleged sexual harassment and assault came to light in this newspaper.
For her part, Ms. Stocker says she’d like to stay at West Marin and Inverness Schools for a while. One of her goals is to bring some stability to the position. “That’s my plan,” she said. “I’m looking for somewhere where I can really settle in, and this is kind of the culminating piece of my career, if you will.”