Meet our Principals
Mr. Goldberg - Principal
Hello and welcome to Wilder Elementary! I am Steve Goldberg, the proud principal of this wonderful school and I am thrilled to be a part of such a vibrant and supportive community. I live in Redmond with my family, Hudson (8), Malikai (10), Clea (19), my wife Carmen and our orange cat Eleanor and we all love exploring the local area and participating in community events.
I hold a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership and Special Education and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis and a Bachelors in Elementary Education from Arizona State University. I have been in the field of education for 15 years. My journey began as a 5th Grade Teacher in Phoenix, Arizona and I have had the privilege of teaching students in 3rd – 7th grades and worked as an Instructional Coach, Math Interventionist, and HiCap TOSA. I have served as a principal for four years and am now entering my second year as Principal of Wilder.
At Wilder Elementary, as a staff, we are committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environment. My vision is to see our students grow into confident, compassionate, and capable individuals who are prepared for the future.
My educational philosophy is rooted in the belief that all students will reach their highest potential when provided with a space that acknowledges and encourages their identity, provides opportunities that harness their individual strengths, is rigorous and utilizes joy as a driver for learning. Through a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), we can align resources and instruction to best meet the needs of every single student, every day.
I am always here to support our students and families; please feel free to reach out to me at sgoldberg@lwsd.org or 425-936-2742 with any questions or concerns. I encourage you to get involved in our school activities and share your ideas with us. I look forward to meeting each of you and working together to make Wilder a place where every student can thrive. Let’s make this year unforgettable!
Mr. Spray - Associate Principal
Kimo means James in Hawaiian. I was born long ago on an island far, far away (Honolulu, HI), and I grew up in Redmond (Union Hill) and Bellevue. I've been married to Janice (Inouye) Spray since April 1990.
I have three children; Daniel, who graduated from UW in Mechanical Engineering and is currently working at Amazon, Jessica Straker, who graduated from of Colorado State in Business Marketing and is married to RJ, and Kayci who is a senior at Bellevue High School and graduates in 2023. And I have one grandchild named Zayden Justus Straker who was born in 2021.
We have two pets; Ollie is our Shi-Tzu/Yorkie and Penny who is our Golden Doodle.
My entire education was spent right here is Washington:
- Western Washington University - Administrator/Principal Certification
- Lesley University - Masters in Curriculum and Assessment-Creative Arts in Learning
- Seattle Pacific University -Teacher Certification and Continuing Education
- University of Washington - Bachelor of Arts-English w/a Creative Writing Emphasis
- Seattle Baptist High School - Burien, WA
- Bellevue Christian School - Bellevue, WA
A few fun facts about me!
- I was three months old when we moved from Hawaii to a little house in Redmond! Redmond sure has changed has a lot since then.
- I earned my Master's Degree from an all-female college! I attended Lesley University at an outreach site in Kent, but at the time Lesley was only open to women at their main campus in Massachusetts prior to integration of men in 2005.
- I was working at Microsoft when they started something called ‘electronic mail’ to communicate. We thought it was dumb and that no one would use it.
- I worked for a company called Automatic Switch Company who made Solenoid Valves and Transfer Switches which were used to control the movement of the shark in the movie Jaws!
I have worked in education in Washington in multiple area school districts:
- Wilder Elementary (Lake Washington SD), Associate Principal since 2023
- Dickinson/Explorer (Lake Washington SD), Associate Principal since 2022
- Audubon Elementary (Lake Washington SD), Principal 2014-2022
- Alcott Elementary (Lake Washington SD), Principal 2009-2014
- Benjamin Rush Elementary (Lake Washington SD), Principal 2003-2009
- Apollo Elementary (Issaquah SD) Asst. Principal and 5th Grade Teacher 1999-2003
- Ridgewood Elementary (Kent SD) 6th Grade Classroom Teacher 1993-1999
- Kimball Elementary (Seattle SD) 4th Grade Classroom Teacher/Intern 1992-1993