The Vance County Board of Education during a special meeting Thursday night approved several administrative changes in Vance County Schools for the 2012-2013 school year.
The changes include the appointments of two assistant superintendents for the local public school system and new principals at seven of the 16 local schools.
All of the approved administrative changes will be effective on Monday, July 23.
Dr. Trixie Brooks, who has served most recently as the executive director of Instructional Services for the school system, will be an assistant superintendent of Curriculum/Instruction K-12. Brian Creasman, who has served as the principal of Northern Vance High School for the past several years, will be an assistant superintendent of Administrative Services.
Dr. Michael Applewhite, principal of Princeville Elementary School in Edgecombe County, will be the new principal at Northern Vance High School. Applewhite is a native of Vance County.
Willa Clark, who has served as the principal of Southern Vance High School for the last two school years, has been selected as the new director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the school system. Clark replaces Pam Bello as CTE director. Bello retired on July 1. Clark will be replaced as principal at Southern Vance by Stephanie Ayscue, an assistant principal at the school for several years.
Additional administrative changes include:
- Heddie Somerville, former assistant principal, appointed principal of Pinkston Street Elementary School;
- David Westbrook, who was interim principal at Henderson Middle School, appointed principal at Carver Elementary School;
- Dr. John Hargrove, principal at Clarke Elementary School, appointed principal at Henderson Middle School;
- Crystal Richardson, principal last school year at New Hope Elementary School, appointed principal at Clarke Elementary School;
- Dr. Harold Thompson, principal at Carver Elementary School for the last several years, appointed principal at New Hope Elementary School;
- Donna Blakebrough, an assistant principal at Eaton-Johnson Middle School, transferred to Henderson Middle School as an assistant principal;
- Kimberly Simms, an assistant principal at Henderson Middle School, transferred to Eaton-Johnson Middle School as an assistant principal;
- John Russick, a teacher at Northern Vance High School and administrative intern last year, appointed as an assistant principal at Southern Vance High School.
The assistant principal’s position at Pinkston Street Elementary School remains vacant. The position of director of the Department for Exceptional Children for the school system will become vacant on August 1, with the retirement of Patty Kennedy. School system officials have begun the process to select administrators to fill these positions.
This is something to think about–so many changes. What’s it all about?
The world ends in 2012.
Moving a principal to central office–and not moving another principal into that open slot–how did we end up with an out of county hire without any advertisement–I really am not understanding this at all.
It would seem to help fix some of the problems in Vance County, there would actually be MORE new blood rather than simply shuffling everyone around.
The middle school assistant principals were flipflopped. To what end?
And why was this done so late in the summer, with the school year starting in just a month from now?
Prudence: Good questions…why not pose them to the eloquent School Board? I guarantee you that you will not get an answer!! I’m speaking from experience. Maybe the new guy at Carver can straighten out the mess down there and be an ADVOCATE for children and not a PUPPET. Had numerous dealings with the ex-principal at Carver and needless to say…he doesn’t impress me. As far as Creasman? Who didn’t see that coming 3-4 years ago? I think a former blogger even predicted that he was being groomed for the County Office at the time of the posting. Can’t remember the bloggers ID but I do remember the post with the comment. You want to know what’s wrong with the VCS? I say go and visit each school individually and look at the way “some” of the “professionals” dress and you tell me if a “professional” should be allowed to dress that way. I know they have a dress code but it seems certain principals don’t enforce the teachers to abide by it. Too many “YES” men/women in the county and from my limited dealings with them they don’t have sense to get out of the rain. I bet the parents of children at Carver are singing about the change b/c the guy that was there……WOW…talk about being a JOKE!!!! Maybe he can go ‘bless’ another school with his non-leading ways!