Heather Sondel, Assistant Principal

Heather Sondel has a diverse background in public education. She has been a classroom teacher, a program director, researcher, consultant and a local school administrator at districts across the country. Dr. Sondel brings to Thomas Jefferson a healthy mix of experiences in curriculum and learning theory, staff training, professional development, project management, academic assessment and evaluation. Her heart and mind, however, are with gifted education. Formerly the Director for Gifted and Talented Programs for the District of Columbia Public Schools, Dr. Sondel has taught courses in curriculum and gifted education. She works with science and technology schools across the country and promoting the cause of STEM education in her current role as the Secretary of the National Consortium of Specialized Schools for Math Science and Technology. In 2004, Heather was selected as one of twenty American educators to become Fulbright Memorial Scholars in Yamatokoriyama, Japan, where she studied the ideological differences between the two nations' education systems. Dr. Sondel is happy to be part of the TJ community; helping to drive its unique mission of academic excellence, individual challenge, outreach and life-long learning.

In her spare time, Dr. Sondel is an avid runner, dancer and activist. She and her husband spend way too much time renovating their eighty plus year-old home in Washington, DC- and they love every minute of it.

Dr. Sondel can be reached at hbsondel@fcps.edu

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