New principals named for Marietta High, Lockheed Elementary

Hunter Riggall, Marietta Daily Journal, Ga.
·4 min read

Mar. 27—MARIETTA — The Board of Education hired new principals for Marietta High School and Lockheed Elementary School Monday morning.

The Marietta school board voted unanimously to approve Superintendent Grant Rivera's recommendations to hire Marvin J. Crumbs as principal of Marietta High, and Tricia Patterson as principal of Lockheed Elementary.

Both principals will begin their tenures in June, after the end of this school year.

Crumbs joins Marietta High after 11 years as principal of Columbus High School in the Muscogee County School District. He will take over from Marco Holland, the district's former chief human resources officer, who stepped in as interim principal last August.

Crumbs will be the fourth principal of Marietta High in a year. The leadership shuffle began last June when the board voted to transfer Keith Ball to a central office position after he had spent four years helming the school.

The following month, the board voted to hire Eric Holland, then principal of Rome High School, as the new MHS principal. Just six weeks later, however, he quit and returned to Rome to accept a superintendent job there.

Marco Holland (no relation to Eric Holland) was subsequently made interim principal for the 2022-2023 school year.

"We definitely want to see a focus on students' education ... collaboration with the staff, supporting the staff," board Chair Kerry Minervini told the MDJ. "Safety and security is always a top priority over at the high school, and I think we just want to see someone who's going to mesh well with the community ... Marietta is a very tight-knit city, and the reality is our principals, they're community members too. They need to be able to work well with the community members."

Minervini also thanked Marco Holland for stepping in as interim principal while the district searched for a permanent replacement. Marco Holland will return to his former job as HR chief for the district.

Crumbs holds a bachelor's in health sciences and a master's in middle grades education from Columbus State University, a specialist degree in elementary education from Troy University and a doctorate in education administration from Argosy University. He is a native of Cuthbert, Georgia, is married and has two adult children.

"I am thrilled to join Marietta High School and to work alongside the incredible students, faculty, staff and community members," Crumbs said in a press release. "Together, we will continue to build upon the school's rich tradition of academic excellence and create a safe, welcoming environment that fosters learning and growth for all students."

Both principals will hold community meet-and-greets. Crumbs' is scheduled for April 19, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., at the Marietta Performing Arts Center at MHS.

Patterson has one scheduled for April 11, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and another scheduled for April 15, from 10 to 11 a.m., both at the Lockheed Learning Commons.

Crumbs' salary will be $190,000. Patterson's new salary will be about $170,000.

"Dr. Crumbs and Dr. Patterson bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our school district," Rivera said. "We are excited to have them lead our schools and build upon the success of our district. They both have a passion for education and a commitment to our students."

Patterson has served as principal of the Marietta Center for Advanced Academics since 2018. MCAA is a magnet school for students grades 3-5, with a focus in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

She has a bachelor's in journalism and communication from The Ohio State University, a bachelor's in teaching from Otterbein College, a master's in education leadership from Kennesaw State University, a specialist in education leadership from Berry College, and a doctorate in education policy and leadership from The University of Alabama.

Patterson formerly worked in the Cobb County School District, including as principal of Tritt Elementary. She is married and has two children.

"Joining the Lockheed family ignites my passion as an educator to work alongside such dedicated and talented professionals," Patterson said. "Together, we can empower our students to reach their full potential and create a culture of excellence that will benefit our entire community."