Mark Burns
Mark Burns, principal of Washington Middle School, has been named the district’s next director of secondary education, pending approval of Board of Education at its May meeting. Burns, who will assume the position on July 1, will succeed David Olson, who is retiring at the end of June.
As director of secondary education, Burns will be a member of the district’s senior leadership team and will provide administrative oversight of 6-12 programming in the district’s 5 middle and high schools, as well as the Alta Visa Campus. This work will include oversight of the district’s secondary curriculum and assessment efforts, as well as planning, coordination and supervision of a comprehensive professional learning program for staff.
“Mark is a respected leader with a proven track record of success,” said Superintendent of Schools Stan Rheingans. “He will bring an energy and perspective to this role that I’m confident will serve our secondary schools well.”
An experienced educational administrator, Burns will assume his new role following 14 years as principal of Washington Middle School. Prior to that, he was an assistant principal at Hempstead High School from 2002-2004, where he was a teacher from 1998-2002. Prior to joining the district in 1998, he was a teacher and dean of students at Benilde-St. Margaret’s Junior High School in St. Louis Park, Minn. Before entering the field of education, Burns held marketing and sales roles at the Maytag Corporation, Jenn-Air Pacific and the Sprint Corporation.
Burns holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Kansas State University and a master of arts in teaching degree from the University of St. Thomas.