New principals approved for Phenix City Schools as part of 11 leadership changes
Two schools in Phenix City will have new principals next year, part of administrative changes that affect 11 leadership positions in the system.
The Phenix City Board of Education unanimously approved the personnel recommendations superintendent Randy Wilkes made during the monthly meeting Thursday night.
Central Freshman Academy principal Rachael Peters will be the director of secondary education curriculum and instruction. That’s a new position carved out of assistant superintendent Darrell Seldon’s portfolio as Wilkes redistributes responsibilities to fill two vacancies in the central office. Seldon will add testing, accountability and equity to his purview. Special services director Bonnie Burns is monitoring special education.
Phenix City Elementary School principal Sylvia Averett will replace Peters as principal of CFA. PCES assistant principal Nick Davis also will transfer to CFA in the same role.
CFA assistant principal Allen Rose will be in the same role at Central High School. He will replace Antonio Griffin, who will be assistant principal at Lakewood Primary School. Assistant principal Stan Ridley had been splitting duties between Lakewood Primary and Lakewood Elementary School, but he will be only at Lakewood Elementary, which needs a fulltime assistant principal because of its enrollment growth, Wilkes told the Ledger-Enquirer.
Success Academy coordinator Jake Golden will replace Averett as principal of PCES. Phenix City Intermediate School math teacher Heather Weston will replace Davis as assistant principal of PCES.
Success Academy social studies teacher Jody Walker will replace Golden as the alternative school’s coordinator.
Although the domino effect of changes started with the need to fill those central office vacancies, Wilkes said, “It’s good to have a little bit of churn sometimes in leadership. I’m not saying we’re getting stagnant or anything like that, but it’s good to cross-train. It’s good to have a different perspective on ideas, and I think this makes us stronger as a school system in almost every area.”
Wilkes was hired six years ago from Crenshaw County and was named the Alabama Superintendent of the Year in 2018. He noted the significance of making Thursday’s leadership changes with personnel already in the system.
“I think that will resonate,” he said. “People from the outside apply. … I don’t want to lose outside flavor either. That’s an important perspective. But this is just a good time for the employees of Phenix City Schools, so they’ve got a lot to celebrate.”
In October, PCS celebrated earning its first “A” on the state report card, soaring from a “C” the previous year and making it the most improved school system out of 138 districts in Alabama.
