Alec Clark has been named the next principal of Edward Stone Middle School.
Clark will take on the role July 1, replacing Ed Stone’s current principal, Nathan Marting, who will become principal of Burlington High School following the retirement of Monica Myers.
“We’re excited to have Alec back at Ed Stone and continue his leadership in the Burlington Community School District,” Superintendent Robert Scott said.
Clark first came to BCSD as an assistant principal at Ed Stone in the summer of 2020. In 2021, he accepted an assistant principal position at BHS. The following year, he became principal of North Hill Elementary School, where he will remain through the end of this school year.
“Having that experience at the high school and now at the elementary and really seeing the whole student, I feel that my expertise and knowledge base will be better suited at the middle school,” Clark said.
Clark’s experience in education prior to coming to Burlington also spanned multiple building levels.
He earned his undergraduate degree in elementary education from the University of Northern Iowa with mid-level endorsements in math, science, social studies, and English Language Arts and went on to student teach first and fifth grade in Clinton. He then taught fifth grade at a private school in Bettendorf, where he also served as athletic director for five years. He went on to teach science, health, and digital literacy at Bettendorf Middle School for three years, then served as an instructional coach at Bettendorf High School, mainly working with the Science, Health and Career and Technical Education departments.
While he has enjoyed his time with the staff and students at North Hill, he looks forward to being back at Ed Stone.
“That’s kind of the age I work best with. I enjoy all the extracurricular activities, the athletics,” he said. “I feel at that middle school age, students are kind of in their most formidable years.”
Clark said he plans to bring different educational opportunities to students, including those that get them out in the community, while supporting teachers and building upon the accomplishments of Marting and the rest of the administrative team at Ed Stone.
“I want to figure out ways we can reach each student and keep
them excited for school while also supporting our teachers as best we can, whether that’s curricular sources or just support or whatever the case is, and just making sure they’re supported as best as possible to provide the best education we can,” Clark said. “I’m excited to work back with the staff. There’s a great administrative team already set up there, so I’m looking forward to working with (assistant principal) Beth (Shurtleff) and (dean of students) April (Anderson) and taking over from where Nathan was at and moving the building forward over the next several years.”
Shawn Stringer will take over as principal of North Hill.
Stringer currently serves as the director of district services for Great Prairie Area Education Agency and spent 11 years as the agency’s regional director, during which time he coordinated and led AEA supports and services to area school districts, including Burlington.
