Leadership Team
Apart from the Superintendent, the Westlake Academy Leadership Team (WALT) consists of PYP Principal, MYP Principal, IB Programme Coordinators, Athletic Director and the Administrative Coordinator.
The Primary Principal is the person in charge of all things to do with the Primary school, which are the years from Kindergarten through to Grade 6. The Primary school follows the IB PYP (Primary Years Programme).
The Secondary Principal is the person in charge of Secondary School, which is Grades 7 through to 12. This area of the school is divided into two academic programmes, the IB MYP (Middle Years Programme) for Grades 7 to 10 and the IB DP (Diploma Programme) for Grades 11 and 12.
The Administrative Coordinator coordinates the non-teaching aspects of the school.
Rod Harding - Primary Principal & Campus Director
A citizen of Australia, Mr. Rod Harding commences his role as secondary principal for this academic year. Rod holds a Masters degree from New York State University and has 20 years of international teaching and administrative experience. He has held positions of Primary and Middle Years Principal in his recent IB World School, as well as a whole school position of Director of Operations.
Along with his knowledge and experience as an instructional leader he has taken on senior administrative roles in facility and curriculum development, as well as security and risk management. Rod is keenly interested in systems that create and maintain a culture of learning within the educational setting, meeting the diverse needs of students to reach their maximum potential and develop meaningful professional develop programs for educators.
Rod has worked closely and collaboratively with school governors and Parent Teacher Associations to strengthen IB programs for students and he looks forward to this very exciting year at Westlake Academy.
Clint Calzini - Secondary Principal
Dr. Clint Calzini was born and raised overseas and comes to Westlake Academy (WA) with 15 years of teaching and leadership experience in overseas international schools. Clint served as a middle and high school science teacher in Scotland, Russia and Brazil and also taught both the MYP and DP of the International Baccalaureate. Clint’s previous middle and high school principal positions were at the International School of Belgrade, Serbia where he led the school’s MYP and DP programs – the first school in that country to have both IB programs at that point in time.
Clint is a proponent of service leadership that is based upon a philosophy that seeks “institutional self-actualization.” By this, he believes that his purpose in education is to create and sustain an environment that nourishes individual potential and allows both teachers and students to achieve their best. To this end, Clint uses a collaborative leadership model that brings teachers, parents and students together in common effort. Additionally, Clint’s philosophical beliefs in internationalism, academic rigor, civic responsibility and learning beyond the classroom serve as guides in preparing students for higher education and beyond.
Clint has a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership at the College of William and Mary, his Masters degree in School Leadership from Harvard University and a Bachelors degree in Secondary Education with Biology and Psychology from the University of Vermont.
A husband and father, Clint is joined at the school by his wife (2nd Grade teacher at WA) and three children that attend WA.
Alison Schneider - PYP Coordinator
The 2011-2012 school year will be Alison Schneider's tenth year in education. In 2001, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Texas Christian University. Alison joined the Westlake Academy staff when the school opened in 2003 and has taught both first and third grades. This year she is excited to step into her new role as PYP coordinator.
Tracy Odom- MYP Coordinator
Tracy Odom was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She attended Wayne State University and holds a Bachelor's of Science in Secondary English and Speech Communication.
She has fourteen years of teaching experience. Eight years ago, She moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan where she taught Advanced English courses to 9th, 10th and 12th graders. Before moving to Texas five and a half years ago, she taught English at Milwaukee's Arts and Science Academy.
She has two children who attend Westlake Academy. In her spare time, she loves cooking, reading, and spending time with her family.
Stacy Stoyanoff - DP Coordinator
Stacy J. Stoyanoff is the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) and Advanced Placement (AP) Coordinator at Westlake Academy. In addition, he teaches HL Biology, SL Environmental Systems, and Theory of Knowledge. Mr. Stoyanoff received a B.A. from Monmouth College in both Biology and Classical Languages. He also holds a M.A. in Classics and a M.S. in Information Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Mr. Stoyanoff is currently completing his Ph.D. in Education with a focus on advanced secondary programs.
Mr. Stoyanoff has been teaching and coordinating DP/AP students for over ten years. He served as a Science department chair for nine of those years, where he worked with curriculum development and alignment. As a coordinator, Mr. Stoyanoff has extensive experience implementing and integrating DP and AP curricula. This allows him to better advise DP students and their families concerning course selections, examinations, credits, graduation requirements, and college placement. In addition, Mr. Stoyanoff serves as an Assistant Examiner for Biology within the IB Organization.
Ja'cette Aguiar - Athletic Director
Jacette Simcho is entering her sixth year of teaching and fourth year at Westlake Academy. As a Texas Christian University graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, Jacette will serve as the Athletic Director for all levels of the Academy's after school sports activities. Jacette will also lead the Academy's Physical Education Department both the Primary and Secondary programs.
"I am honored to be part of the Westlake community and to be working with WA students and athletes. I have found my time with Westlake Academy to be very rewarding, and I am looking forward to the new school year".
Ben Nibarger - Administrative Coordinator
(Bio forthcoming)