April 9, 2025 - Pattengill Principal Update

Dear Pattengill Staff and Community,

We are pleased to announce Mrs. Valeska Bass has been appointed the new Principal of Pattengill Elementary School.

Mrs. Bass has worked in the Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) since 2012. She started her career at Bryant Elementary as a first-grade teacher. In 2016, she became a Lead Teacher at Bryant. Mrs. Bass served as Summer Learning Institute Lead Principal for two consecutive summers, 2021 and 2022. Most recently, she was the International Baccalaureate Coordinator at Bryant. Mrs. Bass has 12 total years in public education in the AAPS. Most recently, she served as the Interim Principal at Pattengill Elementary this school year.

Mrs. Bass holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, both from Eastern Michigan University.

Mrs. Bass shares, “I am genuinely excited to work together to continue building on the prior successes of the students and look forward to continuing the work of building character and social-emotional skills. Your students are our future, and my goal is to support the Pattengill community academically and emotionally. Your dedication and enthusiasm inspire me, and I can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve together!”

We extend a special thank you to the teachers, staff, parents and community members who served on the interview team during the interview selection process. We are grateful for Mrs. Bass’ leadership this school year and we are excited to welcome her as the permanent principal for the Pattengill Elementary School community.

Best regards,

Jazz Parks, Superintendent of Schools

Melita Alston, Executive Director of Early Childhood and Elementary Education