Chautauqua Elementary School’s new assistant principal, Kathy Robinson, says she decided to come to Vashon because she enjoys working in small school districts.

With about a dozen years of teaching experience to her credit, Robinson was the assistant principal of two primary schools in University Place last year. The position was temporary, however, and when the year was over, she says she was interested in continuing to be an administrator rather than returning to teaching.

The job at Chautauqua seemed like a good fit, she said.

“I really enjoy the small, close-knit feel of these smaller districts,” she said.

She will now commute to Chautauqua from University Place, where she lives about 10 minutes from the Point Defiance ferry.

The Vashon Island School District added the assistant principal position at Chautauqua last school year after eliminating it in 2009 as a cost-cutting measure. Theressa Prather, who was the assistant principal last year, left at the end of the year to take a position in another school district.

Robinson has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in education at the University of Puget Sound, and she completed her educational administrator certification at UW Tacoma. She has spent most of her teaching career in the University Place School District, where she taught grades five through seven.

Robinson said she believes she has valuable experience to bring to Chautauqua, having also taught special education classes and highly capable elementary students.

She noted that University Place has more diverse schools than Vashon, and the district is considered a successful one. She also has experience with the state’s new, more vigorous teacher assessment program.

“I’m kind of excited to bring some things that have been successful that I know work and see what I can do here with some of the ideas I have,” she said.