Alfred Leon was named principal of Walter Bickett Elementary School at the June 2022 Board of Education meeting.
Mr. Leon is a native of Miami, Florida and relocated to North Carolina in June 2016. In Miami, he worked for the Miami Dade County Public Schools system as a teacher and administrator for 12 years.
As a teacher, he taught Mathematics to low-performing students in grades 6-8. He later took on leadership positions, first as Department Chairperson over Special Education and later as Dean of Discipline. He was later promoted to Assistant Principal at Miami Gardens Elementary School. He then relocated to Union County and became assistant principal at East Union Middle School.
Mr. Leon is dedicated to making sure all students are allowed to reach their fullest potential by providing high-quality education to all, no matter the background or situations they come from.
Mrs. Jessica Gutierrez is a native of Indiana and relocated to the Charlotte area in 2019. She graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with a B.S. in Elementary Education and has a M.A. from Ball State University in Educational Administration and Supervision. She also holds ESL licensure.
Mrs. Gutierrez began her career at New Paris Elementary in Indiana, first in an EC Resource classroom and then as a third grade teacher. In 2013, she moved to Lima, Peru to teach at Colegio Peruano Britanico where she had many opportunities to mentor and coach teachers as she moved from the role of classroom teacher to Director of English Instruction. It was here that she found her passion for bilingual education. In 2019, she joined Weddington Elementary as a 4th/5th grade English teacher in the DLI program. Driven by passion for coaching and teacher leadership, she supported the program growth and development of international teachers at the school. In 2022, she transitioned to the role of DLI Curriculum Facilitator where she expanded her impact to support international teachers at the district level.
Mrs. Gutierrez was appointed Assistant Principal of Walter Bickett Elementary in July 2025. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and believes in the importance of preparing students to be global citizens. She believes education is the foundation for success and a vital tool for creating opportunities for all students, now and in the future. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children and friends. She loves reading, swimming, sitting around a warm fire, being outdoors and travelling.
Mrs. James is a product of Union County Public Schools. She graduated from Piedmont High School in 2003. After devoting ten years to caring for her five boys as a stay-at-home mom, she attended Western Governors University to obtain a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary education for grades K-6.
In December 2015, Mrs. James became an interventionist at Rock Rest Elementary, followed by a kindergarten classroom teacher. In 2018, she accepted a first-grade teacher position at Walter Bickett Elementary School in the Dual Language Program and completed her master's degree in instructional design from Western Governors University. She has served in various roles, including teacher of first, second, and third-grade classrooms as well as K-2 master teacher.
Mrs. James completed her administrative add-on licensure through the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and became assistant principal at Walter Bickett in January 2025.
Ms. Pernas is a native of Miami, Florida, where she graduated from St. Thomas University with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and relocated to North Carolina in June 2014. In Miami, she worked for the Miami Dade County Public Schools system as a teacher for one year.
As a teacher, she taught mathematics and Spanish to low-performing second and third grade students. She then relocated to Union County and became an ESL teacher for various schools in Union County, including East Elementary for three years. She then transitioned into a DLI coordinator position within East Elementary. During this time, Ms. Pernas graduated with her master's degree in executive leadership and administration from Gardner Webb University.
She then transitioned to a role as seventh grade mathematics teacher at the Health Sciences Academy at Monroe Middle School. She served for three years as a teacher and then transitioned to a health sciences instructional coach position until January 2023, where she then accepted her current role as Pre-K – 1 assistant principal at Walter Bickett Elementary School.
Ms. Pernas lives in Waxhaw with her mother, who she is a caregiver too.
