The Bethel Park Board of School Directors approved the appointment of Mrs. Racquel Sutton as the new principal at Independence Middle School.
Sutton has a decade of experience at the middle school level and more than 20 years of secondary experience combined. She comes to Bethel Park from Southmoreland School District in Scottdale, Pa., where she has served as an administrator since 2018 and was most recently the middle school principal. Prior to Southmoreland, Sutton worked at Greensburg Salem School District, where she was the middle school’s dean of students, as well as its acting associate principal.
During her distinguished career, Sutton has built a strong reputation amongst her peers for her ability to build coalitions to support student success. Some examples of that quality include her service as the Peer Mentoring Coordinator, the Southmoreland Online Learning Academy (SOLA) Coordinator, and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) Test Coordinator. Sutton was also Southmoreland’s National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) Coordinator and she also worked on special education grants and created and organized clubs for the middle school. Sutton has also collaborated on various methods to convert classrooms into a blended learning environment. Before becoming an administrator, Sutton was chosen to work closely with and mentor student-teachers.
Sutton earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Seton Hill University in 2000 and her Master in Education degree from California University of Pennsylvania in 2009.
"I am honored to be a part of such an outstanding school district," said Sutton. “The vision articulated to me during our discussions really inspired me and reenergized me in ways I never could have imagined.”
Mrs. Sutton succeeds Mr. David Muench, who was recently promoted to the position of Director of Student Support Services.