New RDLS Principal Announced

Dear RDLS community,

I am excited to announce the selection of Matthew Arnold as the new principal at Richfield Dual Language School.

Principal Arnold has worked in education for almost 20 years, most recently as the principal of Escuela Bilingüe Green Central Magnet Elementary School, a dual language school in Minneapolis. During his tenure, he has significantly increased family engagement, had steady gains in student achievement and collaborated with leadership across the bilingual program to build PreK-12 alignment for bilingual education.

He started his career as an elementary school teacher in a bilingual Spanish classroom, then served as lead teacher, administrative intern and then as principal. Most of his time has been in bilingual education, which is his area of expertise. 

Principal Arnold received his principal license from Saint Cloud State University, his master's of teaching (with a bilingual focus) from Pace University, and his bachelor’s from St. John’s University, where he majored in Spanish and Peace & Conflict Studies. He also had the opportunity to study at the Universidad Austral de Chile in Valdivia, Chile. 

Our entire interview team is thrilled with his focused bilingual education experience and grateful that he is joining Richfield Public Schools. Further, his strengths and passions are in alignment with the skills and priorities you asked for when providing us with feedback during the hiring process.

“I am honored to be named the new principal at Richfield Dual Language School and thrilled to build upon the strong foundation of bilingual education here. My leadership will be focused on relationships, high academic expectations and equity. I can’t wait to partner with the outstanding RDLS community to continue providing excellent educational experiences for our students,” said Principal Arnold. “¡Juntos logramos más!”

Principal Arnold will start on July 1. Please join us in welcoming him to the RDLS community!

Sincerely,

Superintendent Steven Unowsky