New faces will be seen across the district in the 2019-20 school year and one of our newest members is Liz Ritz, who was recently named the Oak Harbor Public Schools Director of Teaching & Learning.  

Ritz joins the Oak Harbor Team after serving four years as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Bellevue School District. With a tremendous depth of knowledge and experience, Ritz was also a highly successful elementary principal for 12 years.  With 16 years in administration and an incredible track record of success, Ritz impressed the hiring committee with her strong social and emotional learning and focus on equity.

Equally important, Ritz demonstrated outstanding interpersonal skills and built a reputation as an exceptionally warm, positive and enthusiastic leader. Her references described her as the "go-to" person for teaching and learning questions from principals, an effective and engaging professional developer, an excellent coach, and someone who can challenge and support others to accomplish more than they thought possible.

A 1997 graduate of the University of Oregon, Ritz continued her education at the University of Washington, earning her Masters in Teaching with a K-12 Special Education endorsement.  She also later earned her Principal Certification from UW in 2005 and eventually her Professional Certification from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Filling the Teaching & Learning Position should complete the administrative hires for the next school year.  With many administrators retiring or leaving for their next opportunity, the district received deep and competitive pools for each of the open positions, with Teaching & Learning being one of the strongest.

Ritz and her husband, Gareth, will relocate to Oak Harbor with their two daughters, Cady (12) and Millie (7).  She will begin her director position on July 1.