Northampton County schools get a new leader, second one within a year
Northampton County Public Schools has a new leader — its second in a year.
The county school board announced Acting Superintendent Lisa L. Martin has accepted the position of superintendent.
The board announced the appointment at its Jan. 26 meeting, a statement on the school system’s website said.
Martin has been serving as acting superintendent since the resignation of her predecessor, Jaime D. Cole, in December after just less than six months in the post.
Cole, who was the associate superintendent for instruction, took charge as superintendent on July 1, 2022, and succeeded Charles Lawrence, who retired after eight years in Northampton County schools. No reason was given for her sudden departure.
Martin was previously the associate superintendent of instruction for the school system.
"Dr. Martin brings a wealth of educational and administrative experience garnered over more than 30 years, serving most recently at the state level in the Department of Education in the Office of School Quality, where she supported schools in identifying and implementing sustainable, strategic improvement strategies," the statement said.
Martin has served as a superintendent, chief academic officer, associate/assistant superintendent, principal, assistant principal, and as a middle school and high school teacher.
“I am incredibly humbled and honored to be selected as the superintendent of Northampton County Public Schools and to serve the division in this capacity. I look forward to continuing to listen and learn from each of you and to assist in bridging communication gaps and building trust,” Martin said.
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“I want to thank the school board for this opportunity and their continued support of our schools. In my experiences on the ‘shore,’ I have come to quickly recognize Northampton County's beauty as a community rich in tradition, culture, and diversity."
Martin has been recognized as the Washington Post Principal of the Year for Stafford County, Virginia, and as a Principal of Distinction by the Virginia Department of Education. As a principal, Martin also received the AARP Ethel Percy Andrus Award as the Most Innovative High School.
Even before being hired by Northampton County Public Schools as associate superintendent, Martin and her husband acquired a home here with the intention of eventually retiring to the county, the school statement said.
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“Dr. Martin is the steadfast, passionate, and thoughtful leader needed for our district. Dr. Martin comes with a wealth of knowledge in public education and her ‘student first’ mentality is going to push ourdistrict forward. I can’t wait to watch our schools flourish under her leadership,” said Liz Jones, the school board chair.
Martin completed her doctoral work at Virginia Commonwealth University and was awarded a Ph.D. - Urban Services Program: Educational Leadership. She also received the Metropolitan Education Research Consortium fellowship. She has a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida.
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Northampton County schools get a new leader
