GSEHD alumna Dr. Sallie Burch (master's, Supervision and Leadership) has become the new principal of Westbriar Elementary School in Vienna, VA.
She previously worked in school districts in Henrico, Hanover, Prince William and Stafford counties, and was an administrator in schools just outside Detroit. Before coming to Westbriar, she spent 12.5 years at Falmouth Elementary School in Stafford County, first serving as assistant principal and then as principal for nine years. Between October 2019 and December 2023, Burch also was an adjunct instructor at Mary Washington University and has mentored student teachers at Longwood University.
Per the announcement, Westbriar is strong academically, being ranked this year as the No. 11 elementary school in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report. Burch said she hopes to boost students’ Standards of Learning (SOL) scores by being “laser-focused” on pupils’ individual strengths and needs.
“My educational philosophy is, keep the main thing the main thing,” she said. “To me, that’s students and student achievement. Every decision we make should be with students in mind.”