Allers new MPS principal

By Jane DeGeorge
Eagle Reporter
Published: August 28, 2008

A Charlottesville assistant principal is taking the reins at Madison Primary School. Michael Allers, currently assistant principal at Jackson-Via Elementary School in Charlottesville, will take over as principal of the primary school Sept. 2.

“I’m really excited and ready to go,” Allers told The Eagle Aug. 25.

The new MPS principal, who lives in Greene County with his wife and three children, has experience working with kindergarten-sixth grade students at schools in Albemarle County, New York and New Jersey.

Allers – who has a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in elementary education and an advanced graduate certificate in administration – is originally from Long Island, N.Y. After working as a police officer for close to five years, the Long Island native was injured and forced to retire.
While working as a law enforcement officer, Allers often interacted with children in neighborhoods and at schools.

“Going into education just seemed like a natural progression,” he said.

During his time at Jackson-Via Elementary School, Allers helped expand a “home visit” program, which involves schools staff visiting students’ homes.
“Too often we ask parents to have their world revolve around this building,” the new principal said gesturing toward the primary school.
Visiting a students’ family in his or her home is beneficial because it keeps parents on their “home court” where they often feel more comfortable talking about any concerns they may have about their child, he said.

This past school year, Jackson-Via doubled the amount of its home visits, making their way to students’ homes a total of 900 times, according to Allers. Following the expansion of the program, school officials saw a boost in test scores and attendance.

One of the new MPS principal’s main goals is to add to the primary school’s current community involvement programs. 

“I do believe [MPS has] a very positive and far reaching community communication program in place. My current energies go into community visits so folks without the ability to get to the school are provided the opportunity to communicate with school personnel,” Allers told The Eagle.

Allers said he had been hoping to land a job in Madison County for a while due to its proximity to his home and the county’s beauty. The Greene County resident had also heard positive comments about Madison County’s schools from members of his church, Our Lady of the Blue Ridge Catholic Church in Brightwood.

The Madison County School Board approved Allers’ appointment at a special Aug. 21 meeting, according to school officials. 
Former MPS Principal Jamie Mathieson – who had worked at the primary school since 2002 – left his previous position earlier this summer to take over as principal of Venable Elementary School in Charlottesville.