For The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — Getting to know the students, families and staff at All Saints Catholic School is something that Cassandra Calderon looks forward to as its new principal.
“My career in education has been fulfilling,” said Calderon of Muscatine. “From working with students to providing training for teachers, I can say with a full heart that every experience has played a part in who I am and who I continue to be. The position as principal of All Saints, without sounding too cliche, called to me because it seemed like the right fit for me. I strive to be the best person in life that I can be and lead others as a role model, so All Saints aligning with my Catholic beliefs as well as my educational focus made all the difference in my choice to join the All Saints family.”
According to a statement from Scott County Catholic Schools (SCCS), “Calderon brings more than 25 years of experience in education, including classroom teaching, school administration, regional leadership with Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, university instruction, and national consulting.”
Calderon began her career with 15 years of service in the Muscatine Community School District, serving as an ESL (English as a second language) teacher and later as dean of students at Muscatine High School. She has led programming that supported multilingual learners and families, provided staff professional development, and helped design data-driven student supports.
At Mississippi Bend AEA, Calderon partnered with public and private school leaders on Title III compliance, English Language Learners (ELL) program design, curriculum alignment and professional learning.
“My roles have included ELL secondary teacher, dual language elementary teacher, Title III administrator, dean of student attendance, and adjunct Instructor for various universities teacher preparation programs, including St. Ambrose (university in Davenport) and University of Northern Iowa. However, my most recent positions took me back to the classroom as a high school Spanish teacher in Wapello, and throughout the Midwest region as an educational curriculum consultant for Savvas,” Calderon said.
The diversity at All Saints caught her eye. “I believe diversity is needed in all aspects of our daily lives, to experience and appreciate other cultures and languages is what makes us more open and accepting of people, which is what our lord wants us to do. I have spent many years of my career working with English learners and their families from around 20 different countries, supporting people from all over the world and learning from them as much as they learned from me. I can’t imagine how boring my life would have been without knowing the many families I’ve worked with.”
Michael Fisher, Scott County Catholic Schools president, said, “It is an honor to welcome Cassie Calderon to the Scott County Catholic Schools family. Cassie brings a commitment to nurturing both the hearts and minds of our students. We are excited for the energy and devotion she brings to All Saints, and we look forward to all that our community will accomplish together under her leadership.”
Calderon, and her family comprised of husband Eddie and children Jozelyna, Elisa, Sofia, Sebastian and Santiago reside in Muscatine. They are members of Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish in Muscatine.
“I’m extremely excited and honored to join All Saints as principal, and I look forward to leading, learning and growing with this wonderful community,” she said.
