Zittergruen Named JHS Associate Principal
A familiar face to the district is back in Johnston and will join the ranks of the Johnston High School building leadership team, effective with the 2019-20 school year.
Nate Zittergruen has been selected as the new associate principal of Johnston High School. He will assume his new role starting July 1. Zittergruen worked in Johnston through 2015 as the Johnston Middle School associate principal before taking a position elsewhere in the metro.
Zittergruen brings more than 15 years in coaching, teaching, and administrative experiences to Johnston. His roles have encompassed business and marketing teacher, tech integration team member, athletic coach, assistant athletic director, and assistant/associate principal.
Current JHS associate principal Jerry Stratton will move to Summit Middle School to assume the AP position vacated by Kevin Blackburn, who is retiring. All moves are effective July 1, 2019.
In his role, Zittergruen will work alongside JHS principal Ryan Woods and JHS associate principal Randy Klein, specifically supporting PLC and MTSS implementation while also providing direct support to students as they navigate their high school years. Enrollment for the 2018-19 school year was approximately 1,600 students in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades.
Zittergruen holds a bachelor’s degree from Drake University in secondary education and a master’s degree from Drake in educational leadership. He earned his Superintendent licensure from Drake in 2016 and will defend his Doctor of Education (EdD) dissertation in fall 2019.
The Johnston Board of Education is expected to approve Zittergruen’s appointment at the May 6 board meeting.