I love being an Associate Principal at Lovejoy and I enjoy all of the opportunities to work with teachers, students and families.  Prior to being at Lovejoy, I was at Carver Elementary as a Special Education Consultant and Dean of Students.  I started my teaching career at Park Avenue Elementary in 2007 as a Special Education teacher.  I went to the University of Northern Iowa and received my degree in Elementary Education and Special Education.  I received my master’s in Educational Leadership from Viterbo University in 2012.

I enjoy spending time with family, going to the lake, camping, kayaking, spending time outdoors and reading.  I live in Monroe with my husband Zac, and two children, Owen and Ella, and our golden retriever, Saleen.

Students, families, and Lovejoy community – my name is Brandi Otto, principal of Lovejoy Elementary School.  I was raised in the Des Moines metro area, attended Des Moines Public Schools, and graduated from East High School.  My love of teaching began at an early age but my career in education started at Studebaker Elementary School in 1996 as a Special Education Associate and would later inspire me to pursue an Elementary Education degree from Grand View University.  Upon graduation, I served as a Special Education and 5^th grade teacher at Morris Elementary before moving to Garton Elementary as the TLC Instructional Coach, 21^st CCLC site director, and Released Dean.  My passion for teaching led to a further interest in administration and I earned a master’s degree in Teacher Effectiveness and a specialist degree from Drake University.  My degrees from Drake and professional experiences allowed me to serve as the Associate Principal at Moulton Elementary School and currently principal of Lovejoy Elementary where I’m excited to continue my love of teaching and passion for leading staff and students.

My husband, Dave, and I share four children who keep us busy ranging in age from middle school to high school and beyond.  In our free time, we enjoy traveling, kayaking, fishing, and spending time with family and friends.  During fall weekends, you can find me watching football – Go Hawkeyes and Chicago Bears!

As we embark on this year’s journey, I am committed to securing safe and productive learning environments for all students while building strong relationships with families and our community to create a positive culture for continued excellence and academic success.