Meet the Principals

Principal Heather Anderson James

Greetings!
I am thrilled to serve the Clara Barton Elementary community as Principal. My background includes teaching K-12 students, serving as a Summer School Principal, heading multiple committees, and a variety of other leadership roles. I am passionate about education and academic excellence!

I have a bachelor's and master's degree in education from Central Washington University, a doctorate in educational and organizational learning and leadership from Seattle University, and I received my administrative credentials through Western Washington University.  I hold endorsements in Elementary Education, K-12 Reading, English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Middle-Level Humanities. I absolutely love the art and craft of teaching!

A bit about me: my husband and I are the proud parents of six children (5 daughters and 1 son) and grandparents of two. Our family loves to spend time riding bikes, playing board games, and cooking together.

I look forward to partnering with our families, staff, and community as we work together to support every Barton student to be "future ready"! Please reach out via Parent Square if I may be of service to your family.

Dr. Heather Anderson-James

Associate Principal Kirsten Hough

I’m thrilled to join Clara Barton as the Associate Principal!  I am a proud LWSD graduate and am honored to continue serving in the district.  For the past two years, I served as the AP at Thoreau Elementary. Prior to that, I was a multilingual teacher in the district and a classroom teacher in language immersion school in southern California.  I am committed to centering student voice and equity. I believe in fostering collaboration, building strong partnerships, promoting inclusion, and creating a sense of belonging for all our students. 

Outside of school, my husband and I are kept busy with our two children, a fourth grader and seventh grader who attend their neighborhood schools.  Between their many sports and activities, we love to be outdoors exploring all of the beautiful parks, lakes and treasures of the Pacific Northwest.

I look forward to meeting the incredible students and families of Clara Barton and partnering with the school community to continue building an empowering and supportive learning environment!