Rita Burkhimer Email & Phone Number

I am a 27-year veteran of public education in the Pottstown School District. I spent four years as an elementary school principle. I have over 17 years of classroom experience at the middle and elementary school levels. I taught 4th and 5th grade in an elementary school and instructed 6th grade math in the middle school. I am currently a self contained first grade teacher. Up until the pandemic I was the Dean of Students at Pottstown Middle School. In this position, I was responsible for the behavioral management of over 1,000 students. I worked collaboratively with the Guidance Department, Special Education supervisors, and a staff of 75 teachers to remediate and address daily and chronic middle school behavior issues. As Dean, I restructured building movement procedures, revamped detention and in school suspension rules, and actively engaged students, teachers and staff. These actions significantly improved school climate and reduced daily referrals. I served in the dual role of teacher and coordinator for the Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth Program at the Middle School for five years of my teaching tenure. I developed positive behavior support plans for students who met the AEDY criteria. As a part of each student’s plan, I set goals, monitored progress and adapted to push for individual success. I oversaw academic planning and remediation and collaborated with multiple Pottstown School District Departments and outside agencies to serve these students. My experiences cover a wide spectrum in the field of education from district leadership, building leadership and classroom leadership to discipline management at the classroom and building level. In addition to this, I have worked to improve the school community. I have designed and implemented summer programming, remedial programming, involved community leaders in the classroom, taught parent literacy, and acted as the lead technology teacher for the district. My greatest strengths which helped me to achieve success are my logical and critical thinking skills, ability to identify and solve problems quickly and efficiently, excellent communication skills, and management ability. Finally, I believe no educator can be a success without the innate ability to establish positive rapport and cultivate relationships with both adults and students. I believe this to be my greatest strength