Meet our Principals

Meet our Principal- Mr. Buechler:

Welcome to Benjamin Franklin Elementary! My name is Keith Buechler and I have been the Principal at Franklin since 2019. It is a privilege and honor to serve our Franklin community.  We live in and collaborate with an amazing community, and we don’t shy away from high expectations.  Franklin is a wonderfully diverse and welcoming school where we pride ourselves on welcoming all as they are and helping all to grow to their highest potentials.

I have thoroughly enjoyed and benefitted from my time as a member of this district and our community, both personally and professionally. Having grown up in the Yakima Valley, I attended Eastern Washington University and earned my Bachelor of Arts in Education.  I spent my first-year teaching at George McParland Elementary in central California before settling in the greater Puget Sound area.  I spent 13 years in the Sultan School District working as a middle school teacher and coach of various sports at the middle and high school levels before settling into my school leadership career as both a middle school Assistant Principal at Sultan Middle School and later the Principal at Gold Bar Elementary. 

As a school principal, my philosophy and my guidance for staff has always focused on working determinedly to improve outcomes for all students by examining our practices, valuing rigor, providing differentiated learning experiences, and creating a supportive and inclusive culture for learning that is considerate of a variety of student needs, abilities, ethnicities and orientations. 

In my time away from school, I enjoy spending time with my two daughters and family.  We love sports of all types, traveling, reading, playing games, spending time in the outdoors exploring our beautiful state, and embracing new experiences.

Thank you for supporting our students and school!

Together in learning,

Keith Buechler

 

Meet our Associate Principal- Mrs.Katherine Massart: 

My name is Katie Massart and I am your new Associate Principal at Franklin Elementary. This is beyond an honor, and to say I am excited is an understatement! 

For the past few years I have served as a school counselor at Samantha Smith Elementary School here in the Lake Washington School District and before this, I was a behavior therapist for children with disabilities. Education is in my blood, my mom has been a teacher for over 30 years and I knew from a young age I wanted to follow in her footsteps. 

My administrative internship experience was also at Samantha Smith under the mentorship of Jamie Warner, as well as interning at Timberline Middle School under the mentorship of Heidi Paul. 

I am passionate about service and support. Relationships are my number one priority, and it is important to me that everyone within our community feels a sense of belonging, empowerment, and value. I am committed to the important work of ensuring a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment that supports the whole child. 

Partnership is my goal each and every day. I am thrilled to be joining the incredible family that I know Franklin is, and serving you all along side Mr. Buechler.