William Griffin has been appointed the guest principal at Glenside Elementary for the remainder of the academic year.

Griffin retired from the School District of Philadelphia in July, and will be taking over for principal Michelle Robinson, who is taking an educational sabbatical.

He resides in Northeast Philadelphia and has more than 35 years of teaching and administrative leadership experience.

“I’m very honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the guest principal at Glenside,” Griffin said at the December 13 legislative board meeting. “I want to take the experience I have and support the mission and vision of Glenside and of principal Robinson in making sure the school is safe and instruction is a number one priority.”

Griffin holds four certifications: elementary principal, secondary principal, instructional II – mental or physically handicapped (K-12), and instructional II – elementary education (K-6). Griffin earned his bachelor’s degree in education from La Salle University, and a master’s in educational administration from Gwynedd-Mercy University.

“My educational philosophy is that in order for a school to be successful, that school ensures that every student gets what is needed to be successful,” he said. “The school must put the students first with the goal of developing those students into mindful and productive citizens. In a rapidly changing world, I believe a school must foster the intellectual growth of its students in order to properly prepare those students for careers that will allow them to live successful and productive lives.”

For Cheltenham School District’s official announcement, you can click here.