ALLENTOWN, PA - At its Thursday, May 28, 2026, Regular School Board of Directors Meeting, the Allentown School District approved a comprehensive slate of strategic administrative appointments, promotions, and leadership transitions. These structural additions and alignments directly reflect the District’s continued commitment to strengthening instructional leadership, operational excellence, and academic success as outlined in its Strategic Plan, Lighting the Way: A Blueprint for Innovation and Excellence 2030.
School Level Leadership
- Dr. Alicia Knauff, Head Principal, William Allen High School: Dr. Knauff has been permanently appointed to guide the entire William Allen High School learning community, building on her recent tenure as Acting Principal. Dr. Knauff originally joined the Canary leadership team as the Principal of the 9th Grade Academy. During her short time at William Allen High School, she has implemented the Canary Success Center, which aims to improve attendance and behavior among 9th-grade students.
- Tara Walter, Principal, Jackson Early Childhood Center: Principal Walter formally transitions to her permanent leadership assignment after successfully steering the Jackson Early Childhood Center community in an acting capacity.
- Nicolas Snyder, Assistant Principal, Brigadier General Anna Mae Hays Elementary School: Mr. Snyder steps into a permanent administrative post at Hays Elementary after serving in an acting capacity during the 2025-2026 school year.
- Dr. Maria Spinosa, Assistant Principal, Harrison-Morton Middle School: Dr. Spinosa formally joins the middle school building leadership framework following highly effective service in the acting role during the 2025-2026 school year.
- Dyann Jansen, Assistant Principal, Sheridan Elementary School: Ms. Jansen will join the leadership team at Sheridan Elementary School, bringing a wealth of specialized support for English Language Learners to this new role. She previously served as the Acting Director for English Learner Services and Supervisor of Instruction.
- Brighid McDonnell, Assistant Principal, Central Elementary STREAM Academy: Ms. McDonnell transitions to the administrative team at Central Elementary STREAM Academy. She brings valuable elementary instruction background to the school, having most recently served as an assistant principal at Union Terrace Elementary School.
- Ms. Melissa Roehrich, Assistant Principal, Harrison-Morton Middle School: Ms. Roehrich shifts to the middle school network, bringing deep strategic alignment expertise to Harrison-Morton after previously serving as the Supervisor of Instruction at Raub Middle School.
- Lisa Frankenfield, Supervisor of Instructional Technology: Shifting parameters to central technology systems, Ms. Frankenfield transitions into her supervisor role from her past post as an Assistant Principal at William Allen High School. Ms. Frankenfield will play a key role in supporting the Verizon Innovative Learning Partnership at William Allen High School.
- Hanan Attiyah, Supervisor of Instructional Technology: Tapped to expand the technology division, Ms. Attiyah will focus on integrating digital resources into classrooms, building instructional tech capacity, and supporting equitable access to digital literacy platforms. Ms. Attiyah will lead the Verizon Innovative Learning Partnership efforts at Dieruff High School.
Central Office and District-Wide
- Somaris Allen, Assistant Director of Talent Management: Promoted from her current role as a Human Capital Manager, Ms. Allen will assist in co-leading human capital workflows, certification tracking, and pipeline recruitment networks across the District.
- Elizabeth Henning, Assistant Director of Data Information Systems: Elevated from her dual-service position as a Labor Specialist and Data Manager, Ms. Henning will provide specialized oversight of system compliance and analytics for the data management infrastructure within the Talent Management Team.
- Julia Heiden, Human Capital Manager: Welcomed to the Office of Talent Management and Labor Relations, Ms. Heiden will serve as a core resource for the Talent team, focused on network staffing, employee onboarding, and strategic retention efforts.
- Dexter Oxford, Network Engineer: Joining the Office of Information Technology, Mr. Oxford will play a vital role in maintaining network infrastructure stability, technical security, and device deployment protocols.
“As we finalize preparations for the upcoming school year, our focus remains on placing the right leaders in the right positions to support our students' diverse needs," said Mr. Herman James, Chief of Talent Management & Labor Relations. "Cultivating homegrown talent and building structural consistency across our leadership pipelines is essential.”
The Office of Talent Management continues to recruit high-quality instructional staff and leadership for the 2026-2027 school year. Interested applicants can view current openings and begin the application process on our website.
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