Dear Herndon Middle School community,

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Monika Guerrero Vereb, current Assistant Principal at Lightridge High School in Loudoun County, has been selected as the new Principal of Herndon Middle School, effective July 1, 2022.

Ms. Vereb is a highly motivated instructional and equity leader who values feedback, developing relationships, and creating professional development for school leaders and staff.

Ms. Vereb started her career in education in Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) as a marketing teacher at Stonebridge High School. While at Stonebridge, she also launched her leadership journey when she was selected as the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department Chair. She also served as the sponsor of the Student Council Association.

In 2017, Ms. Vereb was named an Assistant Principal at Dominion High School in LCPS. She was an instructional leader at the majority-minority high school of over 1600 students, leading the CTE, English, Fine Arts, Social Studies, and World Languages Departments and the Intensive Autism Program. She successfully designed and implemented comprehensive professional development for teachers and department chairs aligned with the School Improvement Plan (SIP). Under her leadership, she led a team of teachers and students in the development of social-emotional learning structures and training for students. Ms. Vereb started a highly effective wellness initiative to increase healthy habits and morale among staff members. She was also responsible for increasing community partnerships to attract more parents to attend school events such as SIP Night and the annual Dominion Partnership Night.

In 2020, Ms. Vereb moved to Lightridge High School, a new school in LCPS, as an Assistant Principal. She served as the instructional leader of the English, Fine Arts, and Math Departments. Ms. Vereb implemented personalized learning, which customizes learning to each student's strengths, needs, skills, and interests. She planned bi-weekly professional development for school-based leaders focused on growing leadership capacity and creating a caring culture for teachers and students. In addition, Ms. Vereb was responsible for the implementation of training and support for new grading practices to provide a consistent approach to assessment while providing equitable experiences for all students. She led the development of the school's instructional vision, which centered on the evaluation model and focused on teacher professional growth. Ms. Vereb worked with a collaborative team to create and implement a new framework, intervention protocols, teaching matrix, student and staff expectations, and common practices for Positive Behaviors and Intervention Strategies (PBIS).

Ms. Vereb has served as an equity leader in her high schools and in the school division. She co-developed and reviewed equity resources for all schools in LCPS. She has worked with staff and students to promote opportunity and access for all learners and to promote a better understanding of each other.

Ms. Vereb is from a military family and grew up in the Herndon community. She attended Hutchison Elementary School and Herndon Middle School. Ms. Vereb knows the importance of building relationships. She has fond memories and a strong affinity for the Herndon community, and she is looking forward to connecting with staff members, students, families, and community partners.

Ms. Vereb earned her Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Education Specialist degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She is currently working towards a doctorate in educational leadership from The College of William and Mary.

Please join me in welcoming Ms. Monika Guerrero Vereb as the new Principal of Herndon Middle School.

Sincerely,
Douglas A. Tyson
Assistant Superintendent, Region 1