Mr. Paul Basdekis holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Mount Saint Mary College and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from George Mason University. Mr. Basdekis has over 20 years of experience in elementary education. He started his career with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) as a 6th-grade teacher at Forest Edge Elementary in 2004 and served as the president of Summer Solutions Inc. for nine years. Mr. Basdekis has ten years of school administration experience, with six of those years serving as the principal of Riverside Elementary School in Region 3 of FCPS.

During his tenure at Riverside Elementary, Mr. Basdekis led School Improvement and Innovation Plan (SIIP) efforts with targeted areas of need in Literacy, Mathematics, and Science. This led to gains in all content areas as evidenced by growth on Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments.  Mr. Basdekis also developed and supported Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and a comprehensive Positive Behavior Approach (PBA) for the school. He has led Riverside Elementary in expanding its after-school program to enhance the co-curricular and extra-curricular offerings for students. He developed and led a school and community team, which worked to bridge communication, equity, and achievement gaps between home and school.  Before becoming the principal of Riverside Elementary, Mr. Basdekis served as the Assistant Principal of Fort Hunt Elementary School and Woodley Hills Elementary School, which are schools with wonderfully diverse student populations.  

Mr. Basdekis is an experienced, dedicated, and talented school leader. In addition to serving as the principal of Riverside, Mr. Basdekis has served as the President of the Fairfax Association of Elementary School Principals (FAESP). He has also served as a co-lead for the Mount Vernon Pyramid principals and has served on a variety of district committees and workgroups to include Return to School, All-County Principal Meetings Planning Committee, and the Equity Symposium Planning Committee. Mr. Basdekis is a principal who is reflective, collaborative, and has a spirit of enthusiasm, positivity, and intentionality.

Mr. Basdekis is originally from Hartford, Connecticut, and is a Boston Red Sox fan! He currently resides in Round Hill, Virginia with his wife and two daughters. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf, fishing, and being outdoors with his friends and family.

Mrs. Gray is excited to serve as the Assistant Principal at Coates.  For the past few years, she has served as an ESOL Resource Teacher in the Office of School Support.  Prior to this, she spent time as an elementary ESOL teacher and elementary classroom teacher in FCPS. Mrs. Gray was born in Indiana and graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Elementary Education.  In 2005, she relocated to Northern Virginia and began her career in FCPS as a kindergarten teacher. In 2012, she received her master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Multilingual/Multicultural Education followed by a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from George Mason University. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her husband, two children, and dog.

Resheeda Hinkson is thrilled to join our Coates Elementary School family. Ms. Hinkson joined Fairfax County Public Schools in 2019 as Braddock Elementary School’s MTSS Academic and Behavioral Coach. Over the past four years, Ms. Hinkson has been instrumental in developing a school culture where students, families, and teachers feel safe, loved, and welcomed. Ms. Hinkson has coached teachers and families on behavioral strategies and interventions which has led students to successfully participate in their math and reading classes.

Prior to joining Fairfax County Public Schools, Ms. Hinkson was employed by the District of Columbia Public Schools for 14 years. During her tenure in DCPS, Ms. Hinkson served as a Middle School Assistant Principal, Special Education and Response to Intervention Assistant Principal, Special Education Coordinator, Summer School Principal, and Special Education Teacher.

Ms. Hinkson earned her Master of Arts in Special Education and Master of Science in Education Leadership Administration from Trinity Washington University. Ms. Hinkson is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Special Education from Walden University. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Point Park University and a Master of Arts in Legal and Ethical Studies from the University of Baltimore.

Ms. Hinkson is originally from St. Thomas, the United States Virgin Islands, and currently resides in Herndon, Virginia. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, skiing, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family. She also loves animals and enjoys walking her family dog, Donut.

Ms. Wu was born and raised in Fairfax County, Virginia. She graduated from Virginia Tech, where she received her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Education Curriculum and Instruction. She has over 15 years of experience in Fairfax County. Ms. Wu started her career in Fairfax County as a fourth-grade teacher. During that time, she went to George Mason and received her master’s in mathematics specialist leadership. In pursuing her love for math, she worked as both a Title I math specialist and as an instructional coach. A few years later, she went back to George Mason to receive her endorsement in administration. Ms. Wu was previously an assistant principal at Centre Ridge Elementary. In her spare time, Ms. Wu loves spending time with her family, friends, and fur babies. She is excited to be apart of the Coates family!