School
Board of Polk County, FloridaPrincipal, Michael Young
Mr. Young began teaching at Lecanto High School, Citrus County, Florida in 1991. In 1999 he became a Guidance Counselor at Sleepy Hill Middle School in Lakeland. He was the Assistant Principal for Curriculum at Mulberry Middle from 2005 and was appointed Principal the summer of 2008.
Mr. Young holds a B.A. degree from Southeastern University in English Education and M. Ed. degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi in School Counseling and the University of South Florida in Educational Leadership.
Assistant Principal of Administration
Edgar Santiago
Mr. Santiago began his teaching career in 2000 at Mulberry Middle School. In 2003, he was a Spanish teacher at Lake Gibson High School. In January, 2007, he became Dean of Students at Mulberry Middle School. He was appointed Assistant Principal of Administration in the summer of 2008.
Prior to working in education, Mr. Santiago served in the United States Army as an Infantry Officer. Mr. Santiago received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the Pennsylvania State University, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, and his Educational Leadership certification from the University of South Florida.
Assistant Principal of Curriculum
Diane Taylor
Diane Taylor began her career with Polk County Schools in 1988 as a Physical Education teacher’s aide at John Cox Elementary. From 1991 – 1998, she was a teacher’s aide at Blake Elementary and Griffin Elementary. She became an ESE teacher at Griffin Elementary in 1998 and transferred to Sleepy Hill Middle in 1999 to teach ESE.
In 2003, Ms. Taylor became an ESE Staffing Specialist for the District Office. From 2006, Mrs. Taylor worked in Polk schools as a Senior Manager in the ESE department until her appointment in July of 2008 as Assistant Principal of Curriculum at Mulberry Middle. Mrs. Taylor received her B. S. Degree from the University of South Florida in Special Education and Masters Degree in Educational Leadership.
Dean of Students
Kathy Pickett
Mrs. Pickett began her teaching career while traveling with her husband in the United States Air Force. She was a Math/Business teacher at Edgren High School, Misawa Air Base, Japan and Visions and E.O.P. (Alternative schools), Colorado Springs, Colorado and Math/Reading teacher at Spangdahlem Middle School, Spangdahlem, Germany. Upon moving to Florida, she served as a Math teacher at Lake Gibson Middle School and George Jenkins High School and Dean of Students at Mulberry High School. Presently, she is the Dean of Students at Mulberry Middle School.
Mrs. Pickett received a B.S. Degree from Virginia Union University in Business Administration, M.Ed. Degrees from the University of Southern California in Secondary/Post Secondary Education and Trinity University in School Administration, M.A. Degree from Dallas Theological Seminary in Biblical Studies and Educational Leadership certification through the Polk County Aspiring Leaders Training Program.