County school district shifts administrators


Thursday, August 6, 2009
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County school district shifts administrators

By BARRY BURLESON
Editor

Photo by Lawrence White

School leaders

Principals in the Marshall County School District include (from left) Don Jackson, Byhalia High School; Dixie Pye, H.W. Byers Elementary; Leigh Anne Sanderson, Potts Camp High School; Jennifer Gurley, Byhalia Elementary; Sonya Cross, H.W. Byers High School; Pat Kennedy, Mary Reid Elementary; and Charlie Hall, Galena. Not pictured is Kerry Reid, Byhalia Middle School.

Some students returning to classes this week in the Marshall County School District will see administrative changes.

Several leaders were reassigned within in the district, while some are stepping into administrative roles, according to superintendent of education Don Randolph.

“We feel we made the best decisions in the interest of the children of Marshall County schools,” he said. “We believe they’re the right people for these positions because of the training they’ve been given. Plus they know the system and know what to expect.”

Sonya Cross, former elementary principal (K-4) at Byhalia, is the new principal at H.W. Byers (grades 5-12). She replaces Gary Hannah, who recently resigned.

Chris Ferrell, former assistant principal at Potts Camp, will be the new assistant principal at H.W. Byers (grades 5-12).

Andrae Sims, formerly a teacher at H.W. Byers Elementary, will be a reading specialist at Byers (grades 5-12).

Jennifer Gurley is moving from assistant principal at Byhalia Middle School (grades 5-8) to principal at Byhalia Elementary (K-4).

Demeka Smith, a teacher and administrator in the county system for a while at Byhalia Middle and Byhalia Elementary, will be assistant principal at Byhalia Elementary under Gurley.

Carrie Skelton, former teacher at Byhalia High School, has been reassigned as assistant principal at Byhalia Middle (grades 5-8). She will work with principal Kerry Reid.

Summer Pannell is the new instructional facilitator at Byhalia Middle. She makes the move from Byhalia High, where she served as athletic director, coach and teacher.

Sabrina Holley is the new instructional facilitator at Galena School. She moves to that position after working as Reading First coordinator at Galena.

“The district likes to consider personnel who have shown an interest in administrative positions and have completed those degrees,” Randolph said. “They had the initiative to get those degrees and progress in the district.

“We want to put them in the positions where they can grow professionally and be successful in this school district. We think they’re the right fit for the future.”

The first day of school for students in the Marshall County district is Thursday (August 6).

“We certainly feel Marshall County has good schools, and it is our goal to make them great schools,” Randolph said.

One administrative move announced earlier was the hiring of Shane Stone as assistant principal at Potts Camp.

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