District names Katie Baskin new AHS principal
Published 10:55 am Thursday, December 19, 2013
Austin Public Schools will call a former high school administrator home.
Katie Baskin
The district is hiring Katie Baskin to be the new Austin High School Principal. Baskin, a former AHS assistant principal, will replace current principal Brad Bergstrom, who will become the district’s new human resources director.
“It was her exceptional insights into leadership and running a team of staff,” that lead to her hiring, according to Superintendent David Krenz. Krenz lauded Baskin’s work as an assistant principal working with students.
Baskin began her career as a math teacher at Ellis Middle School in 2002. She became dean of students at AHS in 2005, eventually becoming assistant principal in 2007. She left Austin for White Bear Lake Public Schools in 2012 after her husband, Jason, was transferred to the Twin Cities for work. Baskin is also the daughter-in-law of Amy Baskin, Community Education and Communications Director at Austin Public Schools.
Baskin is currently serving as assistant principal at White Bear Lake Area High School’s north campus.
Baskin was among three finalists for the position, according to Krenz. Two high school staff teams pared the finalist pool down from 14.
“They usually ask, ‘Who do you think you would want to be your principal?’ and that’s pretty much been our standard here since we’ve come on board,” Krenz said.
Baskin may start at AHS some time in spring, as Krenz said Baskin needs to fulfill contractual obligations with White Bear Lake.
Bergstrom will replace Mary Burroughs, who left the district last month to take a job with Bloomington Public Schools. Krenz said district officials thought Bergstrom would be a good fit for the position as he hopes to become a superintendent one day.
“It made so much sense talking to Brad and knowing what his long-term goals are, wanting to be a superintendent one day,” Krenz said. “It just seemed like a natural fit.”
Bergstrom came to Austin in 2002 as the director of Austin’s Alternative Learning Center, as well as an AHS assistant principal. He became principal in 2005.
