Julie Hatchel, Ed.D.

El Morro Elementary School
Laguna Beach Unified School District
Laguna Beach, California
jhatchel@lbusd.org

In her 18 years as principal, Julie Hatchel, Ed.D., has made it her duty to lead with a “benevolent, clear, shared vision, and a collective commitment to sustaining an environment where both students and staff thrive.” Her leadership prioritizes high visibility and authentic relationships balanced with a rigorous approach to academic achievement. At K-5 El Morro Elementary, where she has been principal for three years, Hatchel’s approach has yielded significant gains in ELA, Math, and school culture. The school has the highest parent satisfaction rate in the district, rooted in families’ positive perceptions of staff commitment, community engagement, curricular relevance, and student safety. The same satisfaction is reflected in the El Morro’s collaborative professional culture, with Hatchel taking an empowerment approach to staff development, tailoring resources to align teaching with the interests and learning styles of each student. Across the multiple campuses she has led, Hatchel has cultivated social and learning environments with student agency at the center. She has designed programs to activate students’ leadership and empathy while finding their voice in the community, including student-run philanthropies, district-level focus groups, and restorative practices that promote positive behavior through student modeling and reinforcement. In addition to serving as principal, Hatchel served as a district-level curriculum leader and assistant superintendent. She holds Ed.D. and M.A. degrees in Education and a B.A. in English from California State University, Fullerton.