Meet Our Principal!

Mr. James Etlen

Mr. James Etlen is honored to be the Principal of Copper Beech Elementary School after having served as the Assistant Principal for four years.  His career began in Abington School District as a teacher at McKinley Elementary School.  At McKinley, he taught for five years in the second and fourth grades.  He also worked at Willow Hill Elementary, teaching third grade for one year. Mr. Etlen was the Elementary Curriculum Specialist at Highland Elementary School for four years before joining the school community of Copper Beech Elementary School.

Mr. Etlen graduated from West Chester University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and earned his Master of Science in Educational Administration from Gwynedd-Mercy College.  He is currently a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at Temple University.

As a strategic thinker and leader of change, Mr. Etlen believes that we can achieve more by working together.   Excellence is achieved and maintained when all members of the community use their strengths to make positive contributions to the school.   Collaboration is necessary when leading for results.  And as you often hear Mr. Etlen say: 

“Teamwork makes the dream work!”

(-John C. Maxwell)