Braida hired as new ME principal for 2018-19 school year

Monroe Elementary has a new principal. The PCM school board officially hired Oskaloosa Community Schools Instructional Coach Jayme Braida at its March 19 meeting in an unanimous vote.

She will replace former ME Principal Ryan Roozeboom who resigned in December 2017 due to health concerns. Braida, 33, will take over as principal and building administrator for the 2018-19 school year.

Braida received her undergraduate degree in education at Central College in Pella and her masters degree at Iowa State University. She began her career teaching fourth grade for the Chariton Community School District, then moving to Oskaloosa where she taught fifth grade and is currently instructional coach focusing on k-2 literacy instruction.

Braida’s been married to her husband Michael for 12 years, and they have four children ranging in age from 5 to 17 years old. In a phone interview with the Monroe Legacy on Monday, Braida said her 5-year-old Jana will enroll at ME next year as a kindergartner.

Braida said she has two major goals for her first year at ME — to build relationships and promote trust, honesty and respect with staff, parents and the community. She also wants to work with Prairie City Elementary Principal Stephanie Ver Helst to create a cohesive academic curriculum between the two elementaries.

“I’m really excited to get to know the kids, families, school board and the staff,” Braida said. “ME has a lot of fantastic things going for it. I want to continue those things. We’ll also be looking for opportunities for growth. It will be a year of a lot of learning on my part.”

In a letter sent home to ME parents in December, PCM superintendent Brad Jermeland announced Roozeboom’s resignation. Jermeland has been filling in and completing the duties of ME principal since the week before winter break and will finish out the school year.

PCM received 41 applications for the open position and administrators narrowed those down to four before making an offer to Braida.