Board of Education Approves Several New Administrative Positions
The Columbus Board of Education approved several new administrative positions during its regular business meeting on June 16.
As the District moves forward in serving the needs of students and meeting District goals, the Office of Transformation and Leadership will be adding new positions to its team to accelerate the development of aspiring principals and current school leaders.
The School Leadership Coaches will focus primarily on first and second-year principals and assistant principals to ensure that they have all of the necessary support to become effective instructional leaders and build a strong foundation of collaboration and robust learning experiences for students.
"They will provide professional development within and across regions to differentiate learning experiences and provide feedback based on needs identified for each school administrator," said Dr. Angela Chapman, Chief of Transformation & Leadership.
Moving into their new roles are current seasoned principals who have served Columbus City Schools students and families in various administrative and instructional positions.
- Region 1 School Leadership Coach will be Diane Campbell; she is currently the Principal of Wedgewood Middle School.
- Region 2 School Leadership Coach will be Stephanie Patton; she currently serves as Principal of Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls.
- Region 3 School Leadership Coach will be Edmund Baker, Jr.; he is currently the Principal of South 7-12.
- Region 4 School Leadership Coach will be Dr. Elizabeth McNally; she currently leads the administrative team of Highland Elementary School, and
- Region 5 School Leadership Coach will be Dr. James Eslinger; he currently serves as Principal for Stewart Alternative Elementary School.
The School Leadership Coaches will begin work on August 3, 2020, and report to the Department of Transformation & Leadership's Area Superintendents.
A new era of leadership will also take place at a number of elementary and middle schools around the District.
Mrs. Shannon E. Tucker returns to Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls as the new Principal for the 2020-2021 school year.
Principal Tucker is excited to return to Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls (CCPSG), where she previously served as the Assistant Principal. She brings a wide range of knowledge and experience in many areas of K-12 education, having worked in several teaching and administrative roles within CCS since 1995.
"Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls was founded with a vision that focuses on how girls learn, grow, and lead," said Shannon Tucker, Yorktown Middle School Principal. "Over the years, the culture where learning takes center stage was modeled by two fearless leaders, Theresa Pettis and Stephanie Patton. I had the opportunity to work beside Principal Patton when I served as an assistant principal, so I witnessed firsthand the leadership, innovation, passion, and dedication she exemplified in empowering young girls. I am honored to continue this legacy at Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls. I do not take this assignment lightly or for granted. The excitement that I have for the opportunity to lead the young ladies, staff, and community of CCPSG cannot be overstated."
For the past three years, she has served the students and families at Yorktown Middle School. As Principal at the school, she has worked to strengthen student and staff relationships, guided curriculum development, and implemented targeted instructional goals and effective interventional strategies to increase student success.
Before her administrative assignment at Yorktown MS, Shannon worked as an instructional coach at Yorktown Middle School.
Tucker earned her Master of Science (MSE) in Educational Leadership from the University of Dayton. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Ohio University.
Mr. Tai A. Cornute will take the helm as the new Principal of Columbus City Preparatory School for Boys (CCPSB) for the 2020-2021 school year.
Principal Cornute is excited to join the CCPSB community. He brings a wide range of knowledge and experience in many areas of K-12 education, having worked in several teaching and administrative roles within CCS since 2018.
For the past two years, he has served the students and families at West High School as an assistant principal. In that role, he strengthened student and staff relationships, improved building climate and culture, and built strong community partnerships and collaborations to increase student success.
"I live by the mantra, excellence without excuses," said Tai Cornute, West High School Assistant Principal.
Before his administrative assignment at West HS, Mr. Cornute worked as a principal resident at Whitehall Yearling High School.
As a Bright Fellow, he earned an Executive MBA with a concentration of Educational Leadership from The Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University (OSU). While employed at OSU's Bell National Resource Center, Tai helped develop and implement the Middle School Mentoring Program that continues to impact scholars at CCPSB. Mr. Cornute also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Work from The Ohio State University in 2008.
Mr. Cornute is a proud graduate of Columbus City Schools and dedicated to leadership through service as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
New to the District is Mr. Tyrone Olverson. He'll lead Ohio Avenue Elementary School as Principal for the 2020-2021 school year.
A proven district and building level administrator, Olverson is committed to improving academic achievement by meeting all students' needs. He will continue to form effective working partnerships with all members of the educational community.
Olverson has served in academic and operational administrative capacities in multiple school settings ranging from urban to rural, and grades ranging from Pre-K through 12th-grade. He recently served as a transformational turnaround leader, as the District Superintendent in Trotwood City Schools and K-12 Chief of Academics and Operations in the Youngstown City School District.
"As an African-American administrator who grew up in a challenging environment, I bring some special talents and skills in addressing community, parent, and student concerns," said Olverson. "Beyond my real-life experiences, I have researched and created programs that consider culture when designing educational activities that accelerate student achievement, especially minorities. In each system, I have had the opportunity to lead and improve student attendance, decrease student disciplinary incidents and classroom referrals, decrease suspensions, increase graduation rates, and increase quality teaching time."
Olverson holds a Doctorate of Educational Leadership from Concordia University, a Master of Science from the University of Cincinnati, and a Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University.
Ms. Jennifer Meade is the new Principal of Wedgewood Middle School. Meade is excited to join the Wedgewood community, bringing a wide range of knowledge and experience in many areas of K-12 education, having worked in several teaching and administrative roles within the District for the past 22 years.
"I am looking forward to working with the Wedgewood Community and building a relationship with the students, families, staff, and organizations to continue making Wedgewood Middle School an amazing place to be each and every day," said Jennifer Meade, West High School Assistant Principal
For the past two years, Meade has served the students and families at West High School. As an assistant principal, she worked to strengthen student and staff relationships, worked closely with seniors to ensure graduation requirements were met and implemented targeted professional development, and effective intervention strategies for special education and compliance.
Meade holds two Masters Degrees; Education Leadership and Teaching and Learning for the 21st Century from Ashland University. She also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Ohio University.
Earnest “Doc” West III will take his administrative experience to Columbus Scioto 6-12 as the new Principal for the 2020-2021 school year. He brings a wide range of knowledge and expertise in many areas of K-12 education, having worked in numerous teaching and administrative roles within Columbus City Schools since 1996.
For the past seven years, he has served the students and families at Independence High School. As Principal at the school, he has worked to strengthen student and staff relationships, guided curriculum development, and implemented targeted instructional goals and effective intervention strategies to increase student success. Before his assignment at Independence High School, Doc West worked as Principal of Columbus Africentric Early College.
Mr. West is currently in school pursuing his superintendent’s license and EdD. He earned his Masters from The Ohio State University (OSU) in Elementary Education and a certification in School Administration. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from OSU. He has received numerous honors and awards and is a member of the I Know I Can Board Member and a proud Alum of Columbus City Schools.
Mrs. Julia Pierpont will lead the team at Como Elementary as their new Principal. She’s worked in numerous teaching and administrative roles within Columbus City Schools since 1987.
For the past three years, she has served the students and families at Linden Park Early Childhood Education Center as the Program Coordinator. Before her assignment at Linden Park ECEC, Julia worked as a Special Education Teacher in the Intermediate ED unit at Parsons Elementary School. Mrs. Pierpont functioned as an Educational Technologist for the CCS Department of Instructional Technology for 12 years serving 27 buildings. She began her career at Ohio Avenue Elementary as a Special Education Teacher and also served as a Technology Specialist.
Ms. Pierpont earned a Master of Arts Degree in Educational Leadership from The Ohio State University in 2018 as well as a Master of Science in Technology Integration from Walden University in 2004. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from The University of Dayton. She has received numerous honors and awards and is a member of ISTE, CAA, and NAESP.
Mr. Roderick Watson Jr. moves from Assistant Principal to Principal of Yorktown Middle School.
Watson has been part of the Yorktown School family for the past two years. Before his assignment at Yorktown Middle School, Mr. Watson worked as a Leadership Intern at Wedgewood Middle School. Before that, he was a teacher at Independence High School and Linden-McKinley STEM Academy.
Mr. Watson earned his Masters from The Ohio State University and Mt. Vernon Nazarene University, and he holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Howard University. He has received numerous honors and awards and is a member of the Beginning Mentor Administrator Academy and Ohio Center for Law-Related Education.
Mrs. Michelle Deime has been selected as the new Principal of Highland Elementary School. She’s worked in several teaching and administrative roles within the District since 2000.
For the past year, she has served the students and families at Scottwood Elementary School as the Assistant Principal. Before her assignment at Scottwood Elementary School, Mrs. Deime worked as a Leadership Intern at Ridgeview Middle School.
Mrs. Deime earned her Masters from Ohio Dominican University. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Ecology from The Ohio State University. She has received numerous honors and awards and is a member of the National Education Association and the Ohio Association of Elementary School Principals.