NEW ULM – Dawn Brown, principal of Jefferson Elementary School, was drawn to the position by its specific focus on early elementary grades.

“The opportunity to work in an elementary school and an early childhood center was attractive,” said Brown, previously the principal of a K-12 school in Cleveland. “The smaller focus of that grade level is what drew me to the position.”

During the early grades, educators can make “such an impact” on children, mused Brown.

“Reaching people at an early age, giving them the tools for success early on, so they have those tools later in life” can be very satisfying for an educator, Brown said.

Brown took on the job on the understanding that she will transition from running Jefferson Elementary, a school for grades 1-3, to running District 88’s newly-planned Early Learning Center, for grades pre-K and K, in conjunction with its Community Education program.

This year, she is combining the job of Jefferson Elementary principal with leading comprehensive planning of the Early Learning/Community Education Center, to be located in a remodeled Washington Elementary building.

She is leading the planning team’s monthly sessions, seeking to establish what the new center would look like in terms of physical structures, ways of doing business, and offerings that best meet the needs of current and future students. Innovative ideas include, for example, a wrap-around daycare program.

Brown is helping teachers develop collaborations that would ensure a smooth transition between pre-school and kindergarten and into elementary grades.

She brings along professional experiences that uniquely qualify her for this work. These experiences include, but are not limited to: her broad work through the grade levels that among helps ease collaboration with the rest of the district principals; experience in setting up professional learning communities (PLCs) of teachers, helping determine PLC focus, and developing SMART goals for them; experience guiding the preparation of teacher development plans, and mentoring new teachers.

(SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, results-based, and time-bound.)

Brown previously worked successively as sixth-grade teacher at John Ireland School, Saint Peter, and elementary teacher, dean of students, and finally principal at Cleveland Public School, Cleveland.

She holds a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud; a master of science degree in education leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato; and a K-12 principal specialist degree and a superintendent license from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Brown has served as Minnesota Elementary School Principals Association (MESPA) Legislative Resolutions Committee chair and has co-hosted the MESPA Winter Institute.

Brown finds New Ulm to be a cohesive community, with a respect for education.

“I feel a good sense of community here, of cohesiveness, of togetherness,” she notes.

“I see it as staff work together at community events, as families show up at school events to support students.”