Mary Morton named as new Principal at Northwood Preschool Center

The Ames Community School District is excited to announce Mary Morton as the new Principal of Northwood Preschool Center. She is currently the Assistant Principal at Fellows Elementary School, a position she has held since 2020. 

Morton has over 20 years of experience in education and has held a variety of positions in the Ames district including Learning and Leadership Strategist, Instructional Coach, and as a classroom teacher. Morton obtained both her undergraduate degree and Master of Science in Educational Leadership degree from Iowa State University. 

In her current role at Fellows Elementary, Morton has served as the instructional leader for the building. She has led professional development for staff around various topics, including Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), assessments, and using data to drive decisions in the classroom. In addition, she actively supports teachers, learning leads, and educational associates in order to advance student learning. A few of Morton’s areas of expertise include Cognative Coaching, FASTBridge system and assessment training, Postive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and dyslexia in the classroom. 

Before her role at Fellows Elementary, Morton served the Ames district as a Learning and Leadership Strategist. In that role, she engaged in collaborative visioning, planning, and implementation of initiatives for PK-12 teachers in all content areas. She helped develop district expectations for literacy instruction and led building teams in professional development to create action plans to improve student learning. 

Morton is a highly engaged professional who has participated in various professional development opportunities over her career. She is currently part of the Statewide Literacy Leadership Team, and in 2019, was a Women in Science and Engineering Advisory Board Member. Morton has also actively attended various conferences and trainings including the Learning Forward Conference, Collaborative Leadership, and those that focus on leading adult learning and implementing teacher leadership systems. 

As a District, we are excited to continue to work with Ms. Morton and look forward to her leadership within the Ames Community School District. Her new position will begin on July 1, 2022.