At its Aug. 6 meeting, the Portland Board of Public Education approved the appointment of a new principal, three assistant principals and a new high school co-curricular director. The Board also was introduced to a new lead teacher at Reiche Elementary School.

Darralynn Jones, formerly assistant principal at Lyman Moore Middle School, is now that school’s new principal. Alberto Morales, who has been dean of students at Casco Bay High School, has become that school’s assistant principal. Kristin Rogers, most recently the community school coordinator at Talbot Community School, is now that school’s assistant principal. Rebecca Schouvieller, formerly an assistant principal for Lewiston High School, is now an assistant principal at Deering High School. Spencer Allen, most recently athletic director at a high school in Hancock County, is now Portland High School’s new athletic director.

In addition, David Briley, a grade 3 teacher at Reiche Elementary School, was introduced as a new lead teacher at Reiche, a teacher-led school.

The Board was on recess in July, so the vote to approve the appointments took place at its first business meeting in August. The appointments were effective as of July 1, 2024.

“We’re excited to welcome these exemplary new additions to our school leadership teams as we launch the 2024-2025 school year,” said Superintendent Ryan Scallon. “Most of these new leaders already have strong connections to their schools and all of them have the knowledge, skills, and experiences to build community and support a successful teaching and learning environment for all.”

More about all these new leaders is below:

Darralynn Jones, Principal, Lyman Moore Middle School

Darralynn Jones was honored to serve during the 2023-2024 school year as the assistant principal at Lyman Moore Middle School. She is excited now to take on the role of the school’s principal, as of July 1, 2024. Her goals are to maintain a JOYFUL and inclusive environment where each student is valued, implement important improvements, encourage a positive school culture, and promote academic achievement.

Darralynn is a native of Detroit, Michigan and is passionate about science and math. After graduation from high school, she moved to Ohio to pursue a degree in biology pre-med from Central State University and earned a bachelor's degree in biology. Next, she pursued a master's degree in educational leadership from Marygrove College. After graduate school, she started her family, then went into teaching grades 6-12. During her 17-year career as an educator, she has served students as both a teacher and in leadership roles as a content and cultural leader.  She took great pride in serving the city of Detroit with compassion and leadership. This experience shaped her into a dedicated leader, striving to support all students, regardless of their backgrounds.

Relocating to Portland was a pivotal moment in her career. The city's remarkable beauty, unwavering focus on eco-friendly sustainability, abundant greenery, and the peaceful presence of the ocean have all solidified her belief that she is exactly where she needs to be.  She was drawn to the Portland Promise – a commitment to preparing and empowering students through academic excellence and equality, meeting their social and emotional needs, and fostering diversity. She is honored to continue fostering leadership in the Moore community, supporting a positive learning environment rooted in respect and equity and working to build a community that celebrates diversity and collaborates with all stakeholders to support students and staff.

Darralynn has two incredible adult sons. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with her family, and interior design.

Alberto Morales, Assistant Principal, Casco Bay High School

Alberto Morales has been a public school educator for 25 years, with two decades in the Portland Public Schools. Most recently, he served as dean of students and student life at Casco Bay High School, and prior to that he was an assistant principal at Portland High School. During his career at PPS, he spent 11 years teaching English at Casco Bay High School and previously taught English and Spanish at Deering High School for seven years, as well as Spanish at several other Portland elementary schools for two years.

He has been deeply involved in equity efforts within the district, teaching the Race in the United States class for teachers and administrators, participating in the Equity Cohort, and contributing to the Educators of Color Insights Report. He has also been active in recruiting teachers of color. For the past 18 years, he has coached high school ultimate frisbee, leading the Portland team, Forest City, to a state championship recently.

Alberto earned a bachelor's degree in English and education from Boston College and is currently in the leadership cohort at the University of Southern Maine. He mentors in-service teachers from both USM and Bowdoin. His goal is to preserve and deepen Casco Bay High School’s traditions, academic excellence, and extracurricular programs while supporting each student's unique path to success.

In his free time, Alberto enjoys playing ultimate frisbee and basketball, taking guitar lessons, spending time with his family, and reading comic books. He has lived in South Portland with his wife and three children for the past 20 years and is a native New Yorker.

Kristin Rogers Assistant Principal, Talbot Community School

After spending the last three years as the community coordinator at Talbot Community School, Kristin Rogers is stepping into a new role as the assistant principal. Prior to her time at Talbot, Kristin was a ninth-grade social studies teacher at Portland High School, and worked at the REAL School on Mackworth Island. She has served as part of the district Social Studies Curriculum team, re-opening team, and was a graduate assistant in the Education Leadership program at USM. Kristin has also coached in Portland for over a decade and looks forward to continuing to coach field hockey for the Portland/Deering co-op high school team. She loves the people at Talbot (students, families, staff, and the surrounding community) and is excited to continue to work with them all in a new capacity.

Kristin holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Africana studies from Bowdoin College and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Southern Maine. Outside of school, she enjoys hiking, cooking, reading, being in nature, and spending time with her family.

Rebecca Schouvieller, Assistant Principal, Deering High School

Rebecca Schouvieller is joining the Portland Public Schools from Lewiston High School, where she was an assistant principal. Prior to that, she taught high school social studies for over a decade in central Maine, at Falmouth High School, and in Washington, D.C. Other educational experiences include mentoring in Harvard's teacher training program since 2017, as well as curriculum writing and coaching work for districts in Massachusetts and New Mexico. She holds a master's degree from Harvard University and a bachelor's from Bowdoin College.

Rebecca is passionate about supporting high schoolers to define and reach their goals, collaborating with teachers, and making school a welcoming and joyful place for everybody. She looks forward to joining the Ramily at Deering!

David Briley, Lead Teacher, Reiche Elementary School

Dave Briley has always been proud to be a part of the Reiche community, where he has served during his 14 years with the Portland Public Schools.  During his time at Reiche, Dave has embodied the school tagline, “Teacher-Powered, Student-Centered” by putting his students’ success at the heart of every decision.  He is passionate about teacher leadership, often speaking at national conferences about growing teacher leaders and Reiche's teacher-powered journey.  He has served as the enrichment chair on Reiche’s Leadership Team for six years. He is also a champion of equity, having served on district-wide equity leadership cohorts, and founding Reiche’s first Student Civil Rights Team. Before his teaching career, he worked for many years at COSI, a world-class science center in Columbus, OH. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Life Science from Otterbein University in Westerville, OH, and his Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Southern Maine. He lives in South Portland with his wife (who is also a teacher) and two kids.

Spencer Allen, Co-Curricular Director, Portland High School

Spencer Allen comes to the Portland Public Schools from RSU 24 and the Charles M. Sumner Learning Campus in Sullivan, Maine, where he served as the athletic director for both Sumner Middle School and Sumner Memorial High School for two years. Prior to that he coached a combination of baseball, basketball, and football for seven years at Gardiner Area High School. He holds a juris doctor degree from the University of Maine School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in sports management from the University of Michigan. He was drawn to Portland because of the time he spent in the area during law school and the tradition of both academic and athletic success at Portland High School. In his free time, you can often find Spencer on a golf course somewhere.

The Portland Public Schools is Maine’s largest school district, with more than 6,600 students, and it’s also the most diverse. About one-third of the district’s students come from homes where languages other than English are spoken—a total of 53 languages. Approximately 48 percent of the district’s students are white and 52 percent are students of color. Nearly half of PPS students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.