“We all have something to bring to the table, and everyone deserves a seat.”
MAYFIELD CITY SCHOOLS – For more than 20 years, Deanna D’Amore Elsing has worked with students to bridge the gap between the thin lines of progress and setback.
“Whatever the situation, the problem or the goal, we do what we can to help every student get there,” said Mrs. Elsing who has been named the MHS Assistant Principal to replace Brian Linn who goes on to serve as the Principal at Twinsburg High School. “We all have something to bring to the table, and everyone deserves a seat.”
Mrs. Elsing comes to Mayfield from the Willoughby-Eastlake City School District where she most recently served as the Principal of the Northern Career Institute. There, she coordinated a variety of programs including, Auto Collision, Auto Technology, Business Academy, Cosmetology and Welding. In addition to coordinating the high school career technical education programs, Mrs. Elsing also served as the coordinator of Willoughby-Eastlake’s at-risk youth programs which included a middle school career tech prep program called Success Academy and a high school drop-out prevention program called Bridge to Success. Prior to joining the Willoughby-Eastlake Administrative Team in 2013, Mrs. Elsing was an English teacher at Eastlake North High School for eight years and also spent three years teaching English at Villa Angela Saint Joseph High in Cleveland.
MHS Principal Jeff Legan said Mrs. Elsing is a natural fit into the Wildcat culture because her professional philosophy is aligned to “Every Student. Every Day.”
“Deanna has a passion for all kids and understands that all students think and learn differently,” Mr. Legan said. “As an administrator in the Willoughby-Eastlake School system, Mrs. Elsing developed their Bridge to Success program and Success Academy helping both high school and middle school students succeed academically while developing their soft skills for future success.”
A 1996 graduate of Mentor High School, Mrs. Elsing earned a Bachelors of Arts from Kent State University in 1999 and Masters degree in Education from Ashland University in 2002.
Mrs. Elsing professional leadership has earned her several accolades including the Adele Knight Teacher of the Year, Administrator of the Year and Biggest Difference Maker for Willoughby-Eastlake Schools.
“I didn’t choose education. It chose me,” she said. “Opportunity knocked and I’ve never looked back. I’m so excited to be here and jump in to help wherever I’m needed.”
She and her husband, Grant, live in Wickliffe with their two sons, Grant, 12 and Eli, 10. In her free time Mrs. Elsing enjoys listening to her son Grant play piano at local events, plays tennis with her son Eli and attempts to take their 3-year-old rescue English bulldog on walks when he cooperates.