5 leadership changes — and more promised — on next Muscogee school board agenda
The Muscogee County School District Board is scheduled to vote this month on five leadership changes:
- La Christa Thornton to be MCSD executive director of programs for exceptional students.
- Danya Albright to be principal of East Columbus Magnet Academy
- Latavius Watts to be an assistant principal at Carver High School
- Michael Smith to be assistant principal of Richards Middle School
- Hurston Pittman to be assistant principal of Gentian Elementary School.
MCSD Superintendent David Lewis declined to answer this week the Ledger-Enquirer’s questions about these recommendations.
“I have several more recommended appointments that I will be making pending the completion of interviews, reference checks, etc., so I will respond with all of them at one time, which will likely be next week and prior to the Board meeting on the 23rd,” Lewis wrote in an email to the Ledger-Enquirer.
So it’s unclear why the most recent employees in those positions have left or will leave, but here is some background information about the recommended appointees, based on the board meeting’s agenda and the candidates’ resumes:
MCSD executive director of programs for exceptional students
Thornton is a 25-year educator, mostly in MCSD. For the past 11 years, she has been director of MCSD’s Woodall Program, which provides educational services to students with severe emotional and behavioral disorders.
She also has been a behavior clinician as an independent contractor for SpringHealth Behavioral Health & Integrated Care in Louisville, Kentucky, for the past six years.
Thornton started her career as a special-education teacher at Manchester Middle School (2000-02). She has worked in MCSD since 2002.
She taught special education at Marshall Middle School, Baker Middle School and in the Woodall Program (2002-09), then served as an academic coach for students with disabilities at Baker (2009-11) and an instructional specialist in MCSD’s Program for Exceptional Students (2011-14) before becoming Woodall’s director.
Thornton also was an adjunct math instructor at Columbus Technical College (2008-12).
She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Columbus State University (1995), a master’s degree in education from CSU (2000) and educational leadership certification from Troy University-Phenix City (2001).
East Columbus Magnet Academy principal
Albright has been an educator for 24 years, all in MCSD, including the past nine years as an assistant principal at Kendrick High School.
She started her career as an instructor of teaching as a profession at Jordan Vocational High School (2001-14), where she also chaired the English department (2007-11).
Albright was an academic coach at Spencer High School (2014-16) then was promoted to her assistant principal position at Kendrick in 2016.
Before her education career, Albright worked as a quality assurance operational leader for Bradley Direct (1994-2002).
Albright earned a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from Columbus State University (2000), a master’s degree in educational leadership from Troy University-Phenix City (2009) and an specialist’s degree in education from American College of Education (2024).
Carver High School assistant principal
Watts has been an educator for eight years, all in MCSD, including the past two years as discipline dean at Carver High School.
He previously was an instructor in the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps.
Watts earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology sports studies from Morehouse College (2012), a master’s degree in public administration from Columbus State University (2020) and a master’s degree in educational leadership from CSU (2024).
Richards Middle School assistant principal
Smith has been an educator for seven years, all in MCSD, including the past two years as discipline dean at Richards Middle School.
He started his career as a health and physical education teacher at Hardaway High School (2018-23), where he was head coach for wrestling (2021-23) and girls soccer (2019-21) and assistant coach for wrestling (2018-21) and boys soccer (2021-23).
Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science (2014) and a master’s degree in health and physical education (2017) from Columbus State University, a specialist’s degree in physical education from Jacksonville State University (2019) and certification in education leadership from CSU (2023).
Gentian Elementary School assistant principal
Hurston has been an educator for 19 years, mostly in MCSD, including the past three years as academic dean at Gentian Elementary School.
He started his career as a health and physical education paraprofessional in kindergarten through fifth grade for Auburn City Schools (2006-08).
In MCSD, Hurston taught health and physical education at Brewer, Westley Heights, Forrest Road and Gentian elementary schools (2008-22) before being promoted to administration.
Hurston earned a bachelor’s degree (2006) and a master’s degree (2013) in health and physical education from Columbus State University and certification in leadership from CSU (2023).
