An assistant principal from Terra Linda High School in San Rafael has taken the reins at in Novato, replacing the .
The announced that Justin Mori has been named principal, Jim Larson as assistant principal and Dan Curtaz as dean.
“We’re excited that Justin has joined NUSD," Superintendent Shalee Cunningham said in a release from the school district. "His strong background in curriculum and instruction will be a plus at San Jose. ... We’re also thrilled to promote Jim to assistant principal and have Dan full-time at San Jose."
Killeen, a former principal who slid over to San Jose along with many Hill students and parents after Hill was closed last summer. Killeen announced this spring her intention of moving to Southern California to be closer to her family, and she has accepted a position as principal at a middle school down there.
Paige Gardner and Gus Shinzato also departed from the San Jose staff. Gardner accepted a position as principal at Oak Grove Elementary School in Sebastopol, and Shinzato accepted a counseling position at .
Mori, a Petaluma High graduate, spent six years on the Terra Linda adminstrative staff after moving up from Southern California. He was the activities director at Aliso Niguel High School in Aliso Viejo (Orange County) and secondary teaching assistant principal and science teacher at Newhart Middle School in nearby Mission Viejo. Mori has a degree in history from the UC Santa Barbara and a masters in education from Chapman University in Orange County.
Larson taught language arts, science and physical education at San Jose for the past seven years and filled in as a co-administrator at the school when Killeen was away from campus. Growing up in Novato, he attended Lynwood and Lu Sutton elementary schools, Sinaloa Middle School and graduated from . Larson has philosophy degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a masters in education from San Francisco State University. His wife, Jen, is a teacher at Sinaloa.
Curtaz, a 14-year NUSD veteran, was a part-time dean at both San Jose and Sinaloa in the past school year. He was a teacher then assistant principal at Novato High School before becoming dean of students at Hill in 2010. Curtaz is a Sacramento State graduate.
