MCPS has named two Missoula women to be the new principals at Franklin and Cold Springs elementary schools.

Director of Technology and Communications for MCPS, Hatton Littman, said both women come to their new positions with experience in education leadership.

"Miss Amy Shattuck is the new principal at Franklin Elementary School," Littman said. "She is moving over from her former position as assistant principal at Big Sky High School. Jill Patton is coming back to Missoula from Idaho where she is currently serving as principal at Woodland Hills. She will be the new principal at Cold Springs Elementary."

Littman said there was a great deal of interest in the two positions.

"We actually received 47 applications for these two positions," Littman said. "It's a great indication of people not only wanting to live in Missoula, but really wanting to work for a forward thinking school district."

Littman said after narrowing the field to around 10 candidates, the process of hiring the two principals involved more than just a job interview.

"The process includes teachers, parents, community members from each of the schools, as well as members of the superintendent's cabinet," Littman said. "Then, we do something really dynamic. We start the morning with panel interviews with every candidate. Then, we expose the candidates to some real-life problem solving where they talk about how they would react to a variety of situations. We then cull the candidates down to the top three, and they visit the schools to meet with staff, who then can express their opinion as to who would be best for their school."

Both new principals take up their respective positions on July 1.

Director of Technology and Communications for MCPS Hatton Littman

More From 94.9 KYSS FM