AllentownSchool District

Allentown School District Names Two New Elementary Principals

Allentown School District Names Two New Elementary Principals
Posted on 04/28/2022

ALLENTOWN, PA — The Allentown School District will welcome two new building leaders for the 2022-23 school year: Mrs. Kathleen Mercado and Mr. G. Logan Blyler. 


Mrs. Kathleen Mercado, the current assistant principal at Union Terrace Elementary School, will become the school’s permanent building leader. Mrs. Mercado began in ASD as a classroom teacher in 2013. She quickly accumulated administrative experience as Dean of Students and Acting Assistant Principal at Ritter Elementary School before joining the UT team in 2020. She is a collaborative leader and has facilitated professional learning opportunities to ensure all staff are implementing the highest-quality instructional strategies to meet each student’s needs. 


Mrs. Mercado holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and a principal certification from Holy Family University and is now pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership from Capella University. She also received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Phoenix.


G. Logan Blyler is a Lehigh Valley native who will be joining ASD as an elementary school principal. He is the current CEO of Deep Roots Charter School, which he founded in Philadelphia in 2017. Mr. Blyler believes in breaking down barriers in the classroom and using data-driven instruction to move students academically, while also focusing on students’ social-emotional needs.


Mr. Blyler holds a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree from Temple University. He is also a Teach for America alumnus and holds a principal certification from the University of Scranton. 


“We are excited to welcome these two dynamic and innovative leaders to their new roles within the Allentown School District,” said Dr. John D. Stanford, Superintendent. “The board and I are confident that these passionate individuals are committed to growing relationships with the school community and advocating for equitable educational opportunities for Allentown students. We look forward to seeing the impact they will have.”


Both Mrs. Mercado and Mr. Blyler will begin their roles effective July 1, 2022. The Board previously approved the retirement of three longtime elementary leaders who will leave at the end of the school year: Dr. Melissa Marcks at Ritter Elementary, Mr. Dave Hahn at Union Terrace, and Mr. Bob Wheeler at Washington Elementary. The district continues to search for additional elementary principal candidates to complete our leadership teams and expects to fill the vacancies prior to the end of the school year. 


With the approval of the April 28 personnel report, the board has also accepted the retirement of AEA President Mark Leibold. Leslie Franklin, current AEA Vice President will step into the role of AEA President. 


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