Kevin McMillen Named New Principal of Madison

Some P-H-M administrators have been appointed to new leadership roles for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year. The following administrative changes will be effective July 1:

• Current Schmucker Assistant Principal Kevin McMillen has been named the new principal of Madison Elementary School.
• Outgoing Madison Principal Ryan Towner is moving to Walt Disney Elementary.
• Walt Disney Principal Lavon Dean-Null will become Schmucker Middle School’s new principal.
• Director of Professional Development and Student Learning Heather Short will become Assistant Superintendent for Instruction.
• Meadow’s Edge Principal Jayson Snyder will take over as the Director of Professional Development and Student Learning.

Kevin McMillen has served P-H-M students for 22 years. For the past two years, he’s been one of Schmucker Middle School’s two assistant principals. While teaching first year German at Penn High School in 1995, Mr. McMillen also taught at Discovery and Schmucker. He helped create the 7th and 8th grade World Languages District curriculum introducing students to German, French, Spanish and Japanese cultures–a program he went on to teach for 10 years between the two middle schools! Mr. McMillen has also organized and led many European student experiential learning trips over the years. At Discovery, Mr. McMillen coached 8th grade football, as well as 7th and 8th grade girls track. Mr. McMillen’s many P-H-M leadership roles also include serving on the RtI and on the School Improvement Plan Committees. Like Madison, Schmucker was recently named a “Four Star School,” and has received an “A” rating four consecutive years.

Outgoing Madison Principal, Mr. Towner, is in his sixth year with P-H-M; he started in 2011 as a 5th grade teacher at Prairie Vista Elementary. Before being named principal of Madison in 2015, Mr. Towner was assistant to the principal of Walt Disney under then Principal Randy Williams, so his new appointment will be somewhat of a homecoming for Mr. Towner.

In a letter sent to Disney parents today (Tuesday, June 20, 2017), Mr. Towner thanked Madison families for all their support: “I am excited to return [to Disney], but will deeply miss the students, families and staff of Madison. I have appreciated getting to know each student in our school, and feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to partner with you in the education of your children.” Mr. Towner went on to say, “When I became your principal, you welcomed me into the Madison family. Our school is a wonderful, tight knit community and that is why I know you will welcome your new principal, Mr. Kevin McMillen, with the same open-arms reception.”