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Changes at the top for area campuses
By CYNTHIA LESCALLEET
Along with new school supplies, many students will be getting new principals at several schools in Examiner-area neighborhoods.
Public schools with new leadership either in place or being sought include Lanier Middle School and Roberts, Mark Twain and River Oaks elementary schools, among others.
The search process for a principal attempts to “match the unique culture of the school with the individuality of the principal candidates,” said Adriana Tamez, Central Region Superintendent for Houston Independent School District.
The process typically includes input from committees comprised of teachers, parents and HISD officials, she said. These insights from a cross section of perspectives helps craft the school’s search profile.
In any given year, 25-40 principal postings need to be filled, HISD sources said, whether due to promotions, retirements, transfers or other factors.
This year is no different, though many openings seem to be in this area.
Lanier’s new principal, for example, will be Linda Smith, who had been principal at Roberts Elementary. Her departure to oversee the middle school serving the same feeder pattern also meant a replacement for Roberts.
Earlier this week, Roberts teachers and staff met Rita Graves, who has been named Roberts’ new principal. Parents will have a chance to meet and greet her at 6 p.m. Aug. 4 at Roberts, 6000 Greenbriar.
Graves comes to Roberts from Pin Oak Middle School, where she had been dean of students for a year after serving as that school’s magnet program coordinator. Prior to that she was at Poe Elementary, where she started as a first-grade teacher in 1998 and was later a multi-grade teacher.
Her combination of instructional strength and management experience stood out, said Adriana Tamez, Central Region Superintendent for Houston Independent School District.
At Lanier, 2600 Woodhead, Smith has been at work since the end of June. She took over for Bill Shell, who resigned after a year due to personal reasons.
Smith brings to her new post her support of the International Baccalaureate program and her interest in ’tween-aged students.
She said that as her career in education has evolved — she was a teacher, IB coordinator and principal —she had hoped to become a secondary school principal, an idea that took root during her internship at Pershing Middle School.
When the opportunity came up at Lanier, the professional and personal fit was ideal, she said.
“It’s an awesome school,” Smith said, with great teachers and supportive parents.
Plus, it’s an International Baccalaureate school in the same feeder pattern leading to the IB Diploma program at Lamar High School, she said.
Smith, a Braes Heights resident and self-described “survivor” of middle school parenting, said she isn’t at all put off by the Jekyll-Hyde nature of that age and what she politely called their “swings in maturity.”
In fact, she enjoys the transition the youths are making academically, intellectually and even socially as their self- and world awareness grows.
And, having been involved with younger students for a decade, “I know the fears of the little people coming up,” she said.
Meanwhile, their school experience adds sports and drama programs at a higher level.
As principal, Smith plans to be accessible and a role model so her students will know “there’s an ear” ready to listen to what affects them.
Mark Twain will also have a new principal. John Baker is taking the position. He had been principal at Browning Elementary School.
Twain’s previous principal, Joyce Dauber, retired.
Tamez said Baker, who is bilingual, was attracted by the school’s IB program and its dual language program.
At River Oaks Elementary, Principal Kelly McBride resigned a week ago. She confirmed she has moved to Austin, and reportedly has a new position with a school district there.
Tamez said the interview process for McBride’s replacement has begun.
While officials hope to have a new principal in place by the start of school, they “will not settle” to simply fill the opening, Tamez said. It is possible an interim principal will be tapped for temporary duty, she said.
As with other openings that occurred earlier in the HISD hiring cycle, ROE’s search will include input from those who know the school best. A meeting for parents will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 3 at the school, 2008 Kirby Drive. The forum is the first in a series of opportunities for input, Tamez said.
Mark Carleton has been named the new headmaster of the Presbyterian School, 5300 Main St.
He comes to the campus from Darlington School, a coeducational, college preparatory boarding school in Rome, Ga. There he served in various capacities, including associate headmaster, academic dean and director of upper school.
“What compels me to accept the call to come to Presbyterian School is the lofty premise that together we can be counter-cultural in promoting a new generation of leaders who will embrace a different world view and who will advance a different sort of excellence,” he said.
Carleton has been both an administrator and teacher during his career, receiving a doctorate in education from the University of Tennessee.
Meanwhile, Awty International School, 7455 Awty Lane, has announced the leadership of Peter Cooper as interim head of school. Boualem Maizia will join Awty the deputy head of school and French proviseur.
Cooper brings 40 years’ experience in teaching, college counseling, school administration, and finance, having worked in schools in the United States and abroad.
He has substantial experience in complex and diverse international schools, including more than 20 years as headmaster of international schools in Bogota, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. He most recently served as the interim headmaster for Hilton Head Preparatory School in Hilton Head, S.C.
Cooper holds a bachelor’s degree in international politics from Princeton University, and a master’s degree in educational administration from Harvard University.
Maizia has more than 15 years’ educational experience both in France and here in the United States. He comes to Awty from Lycée Français de New York, where he served as vice principal from 2001 to 2005 and again from 2007 to 2009. He also served as the principal educational advisor at Lycée Français de New York from 1999 to 2001.
Maizia holds a Licence d’Histoire from Université de Toulouse le Mirail. He speaks several languages, and is fluent in French and English.
This will be a year of transition at St. John’s School, the River Oaks private K-12 school that prides itself on stability.
Both 11-year headmaster John Allman and Mark Reed, assistant headmaster, who had been at St. John’s for 19 years, have left to run other private schools.
The St. John’s board decided to take its time to find new leadership and has installed Jim Hendrix as interim headmaster.
Public schools with new leadership either in place or being sought include Lanier Middle School and Roberts, Mark Twain and River Oaks elementary schools, among others.
The search process for a principal attempts to “match the unique culture of the school with the individuality of the principal candidates,” said Adriana Tamez, Central Region Superintendent for Houston Independent School District.
The process typically includes input from committees comprised of teachers, parents and HISD officials, she said. These insights from a cross section of perspectives helps craft the school’s search profile.
In any given year, 25-40 principal postings need to be filled, HISD sources said, whether due to promotions, retirements, transfers or other factors.
This year is no different, though many openings seem to be in this area.
Lanier’s new principal, for example, will be Linda Smith, who had been principal at Roberts Elementary. Her departure to oversee the middle school serving the same feeder pattern also meant a replacement for Roberts.
Roberts Elementary
Earlier this week, Roberts teachers and staff met Rita Graves, who has been named Roberts’ new principal. Parents will have a chance to meet and greet her at 6 p.m. Aug. 4 at Roberts, 6000 Greenbriar.
Graves comes to Roberts from Pin Oak Middle School, where she had been dean of students for a year after serving as that school’s magnet program coordinator. Prior to that she was at Poe Elementary, where she started as a first-grade teacher in 1998 and was later a multi-grade teacher.
Her combination of instructional strength and management experience stood out, said Adriana Tamez, Central Region Superintendent for Houston Independent School District.
Lanier Middle School
At Lanier, 2600 Woodhead, Smith has been at work since the end of June. She took over for Bill Shell, who resigned after a year due to personal reasons.
Smith brings to her new post her support of the International Baccalaureate program and her interest in ’tween-aged students.
She said that as her career in education has evolved — she was a teacher, IB coordinator and principal —she had hoped to become a secondary school principal, an idea that took root during her internship at Pershing Middle School.
When the opportunity came up at Lanier, the professional and personal fit was ideal, she said.
“It’s an awesome school,” Smith said, with great teachers and supportive parents.
Plus, it’s an International Baccalaureate school in the same feeder pattern leading to the IB Diploma program at Lamar High School, she said.
Smith, a Braes Heights resident and self-described “survivor” of middle school parenting, said she isn’t at all put off by the Jekyll-Hyde nature of that age and what she politely called their “swings in maturity.”
In fact, she enjoys the transition the youths are making academically, intellectually and even socially as their self- and world awareness grows.
And, having been involved with younger students for a decade, “I know the fears of the little people coming up,” she said.
Meanwhile, their school experience adds sports and drama programs at a higher level.
As principal, Smith plans to be accessible and a role model so her students will know “there’s an ear” ready to listen to what affects them.
Twain Elementary
Mark Twain will also have a new principal. John Baker is taking the position. He had been principal at Browning Elementary School.
Twain’s previous principal, Joyce Dauber, retired.
Tamez said Baker, who is bilingual, was attracted by the school’s IB program and its dual language program.
River Oaks Elementary
At River Oaks Elementary, Principal Kelly McBride resigned a week ago. She confirmed she has moved to Austin, and reportedly has a new position with a school district there.
Tamez said the interview process for McBride’s replacement has begun.
While officials hope to have a new principal in place by the start of school, they “will not settle” to simply fill the opening, Tamez said. It is possible an interim principal will be tapped for temporary duty, she said.
As with other openings that occurred earlier in the HISD hiring cycle, ROE’s search will include input from those who know the school best. A meeting for parents will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 3 at the school, 2008 Kirby Drive. The forum is the first in a series of opportunities for input, Tamez said.
Private schools, too
Mark Carleton has been named the new headmaster of the Presbyterian School, 5300 Main St.
He comes to the campus from Darlington School, a coeducational, college preparatory boarding school in Rome, Ga. There he served in various capacities, including associate headmaster, academic dean and director of upper school.
“What compels me to accept the call to come to Presbyterian School is the lofty premise that together we can be counter-cultural in promoting a new generation of leaders who will embrace a different world view and who will advance a different sort of excellence,” he said.
Carleton has been both an administrator and teacher during his career, receiving a doctorate in education from the University of Tennessee.
Meanwhile, Awty International School, 7455 Awty Lane, has announced the leadership of Peter Cooper as interim head of school. Boualem Maizia will join Awty the deputy head of school and French proviseur.
Cooper brings 40 years’ experience in teaching, college counseling, school administration, and finance, having worked in schools in the United States and abroad.
He has substantial experience in complex and diverse international schools, including more than 20 years as headmaster of international schools in Bogota, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. He most recently served as the interim headmaster for Hilton Head Preparatory School in Hilton Head, S.C.
Cooper holds a bachelor’s degree in international politics from Princeton University, and a master’s degree in educational administration from Harvard University.
Maizia has more than 15 years’ educational experience both in France and here in the United States. He comes to Awty from Lycée Français de New York, where he served as vice principal from 2001 to 2005 and again from 2007 to 2009. He also served as the principal educational advisor at Lycée Français de New York from 1999 to 2001.
Maizia holds a Licence d’Histoire from Université de Toulouse le Mirail. He speaks several languages, and is fluent in French and English.
This will be a year of transition at St. John’s School, the River Oaks private K-12 school that prides itself on stability.
Both 11-year headmaster John Allman and Mark Reed, assistant headmaster, who had been at St. John’s for 19 years, have left to run other private schools.
The St. John’s board decided to take its time to find new leadership and has installed Jim Hendrix as interim headmaster.
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