March 24, 2022 – At its March 22 meeting, the School Board of the
City of Manassas appointed Brian Coleman as the next principal of Jennie Dean Elementary School. He will join the Dean family July 1.
A native of Washington, D.C., Coleman has spent his educational career in Northern Virginia. For the past 23 years, he has served in neighboring Prince William County Public Schools.
Coleman began teaching at the elementary level in 1999. He taught a variety of subjects at Fred Lynn Middle School and Saunders Middle School. He was an administrative intern at Rippon Middle School before becoming the assistant principal at Potomac Middle School, where he served for eight years. Coleman is currently the assistant principal of Unity Braxton Middle School.
After graduating from Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Coleman went on to receive his bachelor’s in elementary education from Wesley College in Dover, Delaware. He earned his master’s in education leadership from George Mason University.
Coleman said he is both honored and excited to begin his tenure as Dean’s principal. He finds it important to meet students where they are and to give them the tools to overcome their struggles and opportunities to excel academically.
“I believe that all students can be successful and with our great educators we can help them reach their full potential,” he said. “With hard work, dedication and communication we can help all students reach their educational greatness at Jennie Dean.”
As an administrator, Coleman has supervised collaborative learning teams, devised departmental improvement plans and implemented new programs intended to decrease achievement gaps.
“Mr. Coleman’s background in education has prepared him to serve Dean students and their families,” said Superintendent Dr. Kevin Newman. “Additionally, he has a strong understanding of how teams should work together to maximize achievement for all students.”
Jennie Dean Elementary School is one of five elementary schools in Manassas City. The school serves approximately 620 students in grades preschool through fourth.
