Five new Columbus area principals. 1 hired in Harris Co. 4 recommended in Muscogee Co.
By the end of this month, five new principals are expected to be approved this for Columbus area schools.
The Harris County School District announced Monday that Jennifer Taylor, an assistant principal at the high school, has been appointed as principal of the middle school, effective March 6. She succeeds Melissa Gates, who became an assistant principal at the high school.
“In working with these two leaders and their aspirational goals, this change seemed to work for them and the district,” HCSD superintendent Roger Couch told the L-E in an email.
Four new principals are on the agenda for approval at next week’s Muscogee County School District Board meeting. Superintendent David Lewis has recommended the following appointments:
Rosa Patterson to succeed Johnny Freeman as principal of Spencer High School.
Stefan Lawrence to succeed Ricky Stone as principal of Aaron Cohn Middle School.
Janele Deloatch to succeed Terri Myers as principal of Rothshild Leadership Academy, a middle school.
Emily Wilson to succeed Norma Sellers as principal of Dimon Magnet Academy, an elementary school.
The board is scheduled to vote on the recommendations during its March 20 meeting, starting at 6 p.m.
Freeman has told the Ledger-Enquirer he is retiring.
Myers told the L-E Monday she is resigning, effective March 31, to pursue unspecified opportunities. “I’ve loved my time here,” she said. “It’s been a most rewarding position.”
The L-E didn’t reach Sellers and Stone for comment before publication, but Lewis told the L-E in an email Tuesday that they are retiring.
Deloatch would take over at Rothschild on April 10, after spring break, and all the other promotions would be effective July 1, Lewis said.
Asked why he is recommending these candidates, Lewis said, “All four recommended candidates have completed our district’s principal preparation program, are currently assistant principals in their respective schools and received the endorsements of their supervisors, and each conveyed solid, aspirational visions for their school communities.”
They were selected among 25 applicants, from which six were interviewed, Lewis said.
Here’s some background information about the new HCSD principal and the recommended MCSD principals:
Jennifer Taylor
Taylor has worked in HCSD for 15 years.
“My passion for teaching and learning has led me to become a school administrator, and I am confident that my experience will be an asset to this amazing school,” Taylor said in HCSD’s news release. “I believe every child has unique abilities, and my goal as a principal is to create a learning environment where each student can thrive and become a better version of themselves each day.”
Before beginning her career in education, Taylor served for four years in the U.S. Air Force as an F-15 avionics specialist. She taught science for 13 years at Harris County Carver Middle School. For three months, she was the district’s Multi-tiered System of Supports coordinator. She became an assistant principal at Harris County High School in October 2021.
Taylor is a 2017 Georgia Teacher of the Year finalist.
At Columbus State University, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in middle grades education and Tier I Educational Leadership Certification. She is on track to earn in May a specialist’s degree in educational leadership and Tier II Leadership Certification.
Rosa Patterson
Patterson has worked in MCSD for 22 years, including the past nine as assistant principal at Spencer.
After teaching physics for one year at Pacelli Catholic High School in 2000-01, Patterson taught math and science from 2001-07 at Marshall Middle and math from 2007-10 at Blackmon Road Middle School. From 2010-13, she was a school improvement specialist in math and science at Eddy Middle School.
Patterson earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Howard University in 1999, a master’s degree in math education from Columbus State University in 2009 and a specialist’s degree in education leadership from CSU in 2012.
Stefan Lawrence
Lawrence has worked in MCSD for 13 years, including the past five as assistant principal at Aaron Cohn. He previously taught English at Carver High School from 2010-18.
He is the 2016 MCSD Teacher of the Year and a 2019 Georgia Teacher of the Year finalist.
Lawrence earned a bachelor’s degree (2009) and a master’s degree (2012) in English/secondary education from Columbus State University and a doctorate in education leadership from the University of Georgia in 2017.
Janele Deloatch
Deloatch has been an educator for 16 years, including the past four as assistant principal at Rothschild.
She started her career as a teacher from 2007-13 at Chattahoochee County Middle School, where she was head of the English department. After serving as assistant head of the social studies department in 2014 at Spencer, she was an academic coach there from 2014-17, then academic dean from 2017-19 at Midland Middle School.
Deloatch earned an associate’s degree in secondary education from Chattahoochee Valley Community College in 1998, bachelor’s degrees in political science and African American studies from the University of Georgia in 2001, a master’s degree in education from Columbus State University in 2019 and a specialist’s degree in education leadership from CSU in 2022.
Emily Wilson
Wilson has been an educator for 17 years, including the past five years as assistant principal at Dimon.
She started her career as a teacher from 2006-08 at North Columbus Elementary School. From 2008-15, she taught at St. Elmo Center for the Gifted. She was assistant principal at Eagle Ridge Academy from 2015-18.
Wilson earned her college degrees from Columbus State University: a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education in 2005, a master’s degree in middle grades education with a concentration in math and science in 2011 and a specialist’s degree in education leadership in 2014.
