Staffing for New School Almost Complete
By Beverly A. Carroll, Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn.
Nov. 27–As the new Heritage High School goes up, principal Ronnie Bradford is in overdrive selecting staff, developing the academic program and notifying students of the deadline to declare a home school next year.
“The construction has been wonderful all the way,” Mr. Bradford said Monday. “I haven’t had to push things through or follow behind people. But the pace for (programming and staffing) has picked up 500 percent in the last couple of weeks. Hopefully by the end of this week, I’ll be able to name 75 percent of the staff.”
He has named an assistant principal, a band director and a career technical director. He has two finalists for head football coach.
“I hope to make a recommendation (today) on which one I will take to the board,” he said. “The board doesn’t meet until December so it won’t be official until then.”
Carla Stephens, a Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School English teacher, will be the assistant principal for the 2008-09 school year.
An LFO graduate, Mrs. Stephens began teaching at Ringgold Middle School. She moved to the high school in 1984, where she served as department chairwoman and was the “Voice of the Warriors” for several athletic teams.
Blair Callaway, a Ringgold High School graduate, will serve as band director after teaching in Alabama and Ellijay, Ga., for the past 16 years.
Mr. Callaway said he is excited about the opportunity to return home and to be part of opening a new school.
“I was looking to get home, and I felt like this was a great chance,” he said. “I did help open a new school in Alabama, and I think that might have helped me on my application.”
Phil Potts, now at Heritage Middle School, will head the career and technical department. And Kenny Hill will leave his position as assistant wrestling coach at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe to become head wrestling coach at Heritage.
The deadline is Dec. 1 for students to declare a home school. Mr. Bradford said he mailed notices to children in the new school’s attendance zone. They may stay at their current school or move to Heritage, he said.
Registration is getting under way, too, he said. He has mailed registration packets to students so they can register early for the some electives that include several Advanced Placement subjects and career and technical choices.
The building is under roof and construction is on target to finish by May 2008.
E-mail Beverly A. Carroll at bcarroll@timesfreepress.com
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