Principal
As a young girl growing up in Caracas, Venezuela, Jeanette Fernandez was not always sure what language she would be hearing when she arrived home from school. Her mother was a leader in a student exchange program and Jeanette grew up alongside students from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. This experience gave Jeanette an appreciation for a wide variety of cultures and languages, which is one reason she has been an award-winning teacher and administrator in the Philadelphia and Norristown area school district for over 24 years. Never hesitant to tackle challenges, Jeanette traveled to the USA to study at the University of Fresno to strengthen her English and then earned a Master of Education at Holy Family University and a Master of Educational Administration at Gwynedd-Mercy College.

Part of what sets Jeanette apart from other educational leaders is her ongoing recognition that systematic change comes from long-term proactive community relationships and engagement. She transformed the beginning of the year Meet the Teacher night into a Welcome Festival. Jeanette understands that education is the key to transforming communities and that action, not words, make that happen. Jeanette has the unique ability to see the big picture and to back-map from that and not get mired in the details. She always current with educational practice, she sets high standards but backs her expectations by providing pertinent quality professional development to her staff. Her accomplishments are too numerous to list but include an award of an Apple One-to-One Initiative grant, the only school in Pennsylvania to receive such honor.

She is a remarkable, insightful and talented woman who is completely dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of children.