PCSD 25 Announces Selection of Director of Elementary Education and Director of Curriculum

Dear PCSD 25 staff:

We are pleased to announce the selection of Mr. A.J. Watson as the Director of Elementary Education and Ms. Amy Bowie as the Director of Curriculum.

For the past eleven years, A.J. Watson has served as the Principal of Chubbuck Elementary School, where he has helped make the school an exemplary model for parent involvement. His focus has been to prepare all learners for future success through academic excellence in a safe, supportive, and caring school community. He has twenty-two years of educational experience and has held a variety of positions from school administrator and coach to reading aide and prevention specialist. The majority of Mr. Watson’s personal and professional career has been dedicated to working with, teaching, and coaching future generations. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Biological Secondary Education in 1999 and pursued a Master’s of Educational Administration in 2006, both from Idaho State University. Recognized for his strong leadership skills, Mr. Watson will be instrumental in providing guidance regarding the potential implementation of full-day kindergarten this fall. He believes that collaboration and relationships are vital to learner achievement and success.

Amy Bowie will join the district's curriculum team as the Director of Curriculum. Ms. Bowie has served the school district for twenty-four years. She spent her first eighteen years in the classroom, where she taught English. She has been an administrator at Irving Middle School for the past six years, including serving as Irving’s Principal since 2019.  In each of her roles, Ms. Bowie has drawn upon her strong ability to cultivate meaningful relationships and create cultures of learning that foster intellectual curiosity, cognitive struggle, and risk-taking. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in secondary education in 1997, and a Master’s of Education in Educational Administration in 2016. As the Director of Curriculum, Ms. Bowie hopes to be able to take the knowledge she has gained and the skills she has acquired to ensure that PCSD 25 learners have access to a rigorous and relevant curriculum that stimulates their sense of wonder and encourages them to stretch, grow, and seek out productive struggle.

“Having served in multiple capacities throughout the district, Mr. Watson and Ms. Bowie are both deeply rooted in our district community and our administrative leadership,” said PCSD 25 Superintendent, Dr. Douglas Howell.  “Each has demonstrated a commitment to education and learning, and the district will benefit greatly from both of their individual knowledge and experiences.”

Ms. Lori Craney, the district’s current Director of Elementary Education, and Mr. Chuck Orr, the current Director of Curriculum, announced their retirement from their respective positions earlier this year. Ms. Craney has served as an educator for PCSD 25 for forty-four years. Mr. Orr is retiring from the district after a thirty-four-year career in education. Mr. Watson and Ms. Bowie will assume their new roles at the district office effective July 1, 2022.