News from Armin Jahr Elementary
April 29, 2021
The Bremerton School District welcomes Ralph Wisner as new principal at Armin Jahr Elementary
Ralph Wisner has been selected as the new principal at Armin Jahr Elementary, beginning in the fall of 2021.
“We could not be more excited to welcome Mr. Wisner into our Bremerton Schools family as the incoming principal of Armin Jahr Elementary School,” said Brittane DeBard, Bremerton School District Director of Teaching and Learning. “The team was impressed by Mr. Wisner’s strong advocacy for children, dual-language experience, bilingualism (English and Spanish), and proven track record of transformational leadership with his focus on the whole child.”
Mr. Wisner is currently the principal at Chester H. Thompson Elementary in the Bethel School District where he developed and implemented the Bethel Dual Language Program for pre-kinder thru 6th grade. Prior to that, he worked in Salem Oregon where he was principal of the Grant Community School, which also housed a strong dual language program and brought community resources and strengths into the students' learning.
In his two decades of working in education, he’s also worked as an assistant principal, instructional coach and English language acquisition specialist, behavior specialist, bilingual teacher, and as a program consultant for the Oregon Department of Education.
Mr. Wisner earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies and Spanish at the University of Redlands, and a Master’s degree in elementary education with emphasis in bilingual education at Oregon State University. His desire to teach was sparked by an early experience traveling to Ecuador teaching conversational English to children.
Mr. Wisner’s “why” for working in education: To ensure that every student who walks across the stage at graduation has the academic and social capacity to choose their next step whether they choose a four-year college, two-year college, military, trade school, or a career field. “Our job as teachers is to help our kids understand not the world they’re in, but the world they’re going to,” added Mr. Wisner.
When he’s not at work, Mr. Wisner enjoys spending time with family, traveling and working outside around his yard. You can read more about Mr. Wisner in this recent article published by the Bethel School District.
Armin Jahr Elementary
Website: https://www.bremertonschools.org/arminjahr
Location: 00 Dibb Street | Bremerton, WA 98310
Phone: 360-473-4100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArminJahrElementary