Principal

MScott Berkowitz is the Principal of Peabody/Watkins. Prior to joining the Cluster, he was principal of Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School in Alexandria City Public Schools.  Under his leadership, Jefferson-Houston achieved full state accreditation, a milestone the school had been trying to achieve for ten years.  Prior to this position, MScott was a Mary Jane Patterson Fellow and worked at CW Harris Elementary School and Hardy Middle School.  MScott has lived in DC for over 16 years with his wife and two daughters.  He holds a master's degree and undergraduate degree from Cornell University.

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Email: mscott.berkowitz@k12.dc.gov

Assistant Principal - Peabody

La-Tarsha James is an experienced educator with over 25 years in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle School education, spanning multiple districts such as Baltimore City Public Schools, Marietta City Public Schools and Cobb County Public Schools in Georgia. She has taught grades K-8 and has spent the past eight years as an Assistant Principal. La-Tarsha holds a Bachelor’s degree from Morgan State University, a Master’s from Towson University, and post-Master's certifications from Notre Dame of Maryland University and Georgetown University.

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Email: la-tarsha.james@k12.dc.gov

Assistant Principal - Watkins

Natalie Edmonds is a dedicated life-long learner and educator who believes children can learn, achieve, and succeed. Natalie has served DCPS for the past 11 years in various capacities. After working in the Office of Special Education at Central Office as a program manager, Natalie became a DC Teaching Fellow and lead teacher at John Burroughs Elementary. Most recently, Natalie was the inaugural Special Education Coordinator at Excel Academy, the first and only all-girls school within DCPS. Natalie is a proud graduate of the University of Florida and has a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Director of Strategy & Logistics

Email: tanisha.montgomery@k12.dc.gov