Assistant Principal Mr. Kirk Dolson has been an important part of the Loudoun County Public School System for many years.  He started his career as an English teacher, teaching at Park View High School for five years before receiving his administration certification from George Mason University. He then worked as a middle school administrator before taking his current Assistant Principal position here at PFHS. Dolson is also involved with the Virginia Association of English Teachers (VATE) and serves as the Vice President. Next year, however, Dolson will be taking a leap further by becoming the new Principal of PVHS, replacing Dr. Virginia Minshew who is retiring.

Dolson said that he didn’t always plan to be principal of a high school, but working with the students and faculty at PFHS changed his mind.

“As soon as I became assistant principal here, and worked with Mrs. K [former Principal Janet Koslowski], Mr. Weeks [Assistant Principal Jarvis Weeks], Mrs. Hayes [Assistant Principal Kelly Hayes], and Dr. Noto [current Principal Dr. Elizabeth Noto], I knew that’s where my heart was,” said Dolson.

Dolson finally saw the opportunity to achieve his new goal of having his own school this January when the position became available.

“I have been applying to be a principal for the past two years, and I taught at Park View High School when I first came to Loudoun County, so I have a tie to that school; I looked at it as an opportunity to go back,” said Dolson.

Leaving PFHS is bittersweet for Dolson; however, for him, the move is really about being able to lead a school in a positive way, for the benefit of both the students and staff.

“I am most excited about just having the ability to be the leader of a school and hopefully making a difference in people’s lives,” said Dolson.

Despite the significant change that Dolson is making, he doesn’t anticipate life at PVHS being all that different from life at PFHS, except maybe the size.

“Park View is a little bit smaller than this school [PFHS] and I don’t think that it’s as over-crowded as this school, because we are a very crowded school, and I don’t really think there will be much difference…I think kids are kids, and obviously there are different students and different teachers…but we’re all here to do the same thing, which is to learn and learn from one another,” said Dolson.

Mr. Dolson will be greatly missed by our students and faculty, but will make an excellent principal for PVHS.  Junior Sumaiyah Ali was very fond of him as an administrator.

“I’m really sad, it was comforting seeing him [Dolson] around school, I know he has an amazing opportunity at Park View but we’re going to really miss him,” said Ali.  Before this school year comes to a close, but sure to thank Mr. Dolson for being the caring and motivated administrator he has been.