Two school administrators from the Portland area will fill leadership positions at the Educational Service District 112. The positions opened up when two associate superintendents retired after decades of service at the ESD.
Mary Mertz will be the new associate superintendent for specialized student services. She currently is the executive director of student services for the Reynolds School District. She previously worked for Portland Public Schools and for Insight Schools Inc., a network of online schools in eight states.
Mertz will succeed Dennis Mathews, who started at the ESD in 1980 as a special education supervisor. He became an assistant superintendent in 1993. Mathews also filled several leadership roles at the state and national levels, including with the Washington Association of School Administrators, Safety Net Committee and the Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative, a network of special education leaders.
Mertz will oversee the ESD 112 Special Educational Cooperative, which serves 29 districts across the state.
Yuki Monteith will be the new associate superintendent for teaching and learning. She is the current director of school improvement for the Parkrose School District. She previously was a middle school principal in the Reynolds School District and taught at Portland State University. At ESD 112, she will oversee early learning, school improvement, STEM, school programs, research and assessment, and prevention and intervention.
