JB Westlake Welcomes New Principal

Monday, September 14, 2020

As Julie Billiart Schools prepare to welcome families on the West Side of Cleveland, the network has welcomed a new leader to oversee JB Westlake.

Samantha Evers, M.Ed. will serve as the Principal of JB’s newest school. She learned about JB and began interviewing for the role in January of 2020 and was officially welcomed into the JB family in July.

Since July, Evers has worked closely with the strategic growth committee to implement renovation plans and hit key criteria for opening the school in August of 2021. She is working closely with Julie Billiart Schools’ advancement and marketing teams to raise funds and community awareness about JB Westlake.

Evers has also come alongside the Principals at JB Lyndhurst and JB Akron to understand the expectations, goals, and responsibilities of being a JB Principal. She also spent time observing Beyond Camp at JB Lyndhurst.

“Beyond Camp was amazing because I finally got to SEE the JB Way,” said Evers. “I knew that this was a special place through my interviews, but once I saw how the teachers worked with the students, it became even more clear. I loved watching how the students responded so positively to the teachers and to their environment.”

Evers, who has an extensive background in special education, first learned about Julie Billiart Schools from a former classmate at the University of Dayton, Katie Schaefer, who now serves as the Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA) at JB Lyndhurst.

“The more I looked into the mission and the vision, I saw that it aligned with my core values and my passion for special education,” said Evers.

She graduated from the University of Dayton in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in education as an intervention specialist. Evers joined Teach for America as a corps member for two years and worked as an intervention specialist at Collinwood High School in various settings and grade levels. While earning her Master’s Degree in education from Johns Hopkins University, she became the intervention specialist in an elementary cross-categorical unit for grades two through five in the Willoughby-Eastlake School District for four years. While there, she completed a second Master's Degree in educational administration from Ursuline College.

When it comes to JB Westlake, Evers is most excited about having the opportunity to start a school from the ground up. She has heard many times that there is a great need for a school like JB on the West Side. For her, being able to fulfill that need for families and community partners is an incredible opportunity

“I am so blessed to be joining Julie Billiart Schools and opening a new location on the West Side of Cleveland, she said. “The field of special education has been my drive and passion for many years, and I am thrilled to belong to a network of schools that celebrates and empowers the diversity of students with learning differences.”

Evers resides in Chagrin Falls with her husband, David, and their 18-month-old twins, Mary and John. She is a big sports fan, and loves Ohio State football. During football season, she can be seen doing high school varsity statistics with her dad. In a non-Covid world, Evers loves to travel and visit New York City.