School Board Appoints Barrett Principal

At its May 15 meeting, the School Board appointed Dr. Gabriela Rivas as principal of Barrett Elementary School.

“It is truly an honor to be given the opportunity to serve as the next principal of Barrett Elementary, a school I truly admire for its cultural and linguistic diversity, its strong sense of community, and its dedicated teachers and staff,” said Dr. Rivas. “As a former APS student who attended Barrett for summer school, this moment truly feels full circle. I am deeply committed to working in partnership with staff, families, and community stakeholders to ensure that all students thrive.”

Rivas is an accomplished educational leader with over a decade of experience serving diverse student populations and leading instructional initiatives at the classroom, school, and district levels. She currently serves as Assistant Principal at Gunston Middle School, where she focuses on equity-driven instructional practices, multilingual learner support, and strategic program implementation aligned with school improvement goals.

Previously, she served as the Elementary English Language Arts Supervisor, overseeing curriculum design, professional development, and intervention strategies for K–5 literacy instruction. She also held an assistant principal role at Barcroft Elementary, where she was named the 2023 APS Assistant Principal of the Year.

Dr. Rivas holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Tech, along with multiple post-master’s certifications in educational leadership and reading specialization.

The appointment is effective on July 1.