Tanise Colvin named as new Sawyer Elementary Principal

The Ames Community School District is excited to announce Tanise Colvin as the new principal of Sawyer Elementary School. Colvin is currently an Assistant Principal at two middle schools in the Muscatine Community School District, a position she has held since 2017. 

As an assistant principal in Muscatine, Colvin has experience in multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) and actively led a parent group to address the gaps in educational programming for students who receive special education services. She was responsible for the design and creation of a master schedule, coached teachers to improve instructional practices, and designed professional development for paraprofessionals that were specific to building needs. Colvin also has training in student-centered coaching, professional learning communities, English language proficiency modules, and Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS), an initiative that was rolled out last year in the Ames Community School District.  

In her cover letter to the District, Colvin identified that the equity work being done in the Ames Community School District was one of the primary reasons for her application. She noted that she is not interested in maintaining the status quo in education and is excited to be part of a District that is willing to break down a system and rebuild it for the benefit of all students. “I know this important work begins at the elementary level where students are first exposed to our educational system.”

Colvin received her Master of Science in Educational Leadership from St. Ambrose University in 2017. Prior to her work as an assistant principal, Colvin served as an instructional coach in the Pleasant Valley School District.

Colvin’s contract will begin on July 1, 2020, pending school board approval. As a District, we are excited to begin working with Ms. Colvin and look forward to her leadership at Sawyer Elementary School and the vast knowledge that she will bring to the Ames Community School District.