Clarke Co BOE names new principals for middle schools

There is an interim principal for a middle school in Athens: Derrick Maxwell will serve as principal at Clarke Middle School while the search for a full-time replacement for Dr. Amanda Gorham takes place. Gorham left her job in the Clarke County School District for a job as a principal in Fulton County.

The Clarke County School Board has also signed off on the appointment of a new principal for Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School: the job goes to Dr. Annie Turman, who has worked as an assistant principal at the school on Tallassee Road.

From the CCSD website…

The Clarke County Board of Education approved the appointment and promotion of Dr. Annie Turman as the next principal of Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School, effective July 1.

Dr. Turman, who is entering her 20th year in education, has been with BHL for 10 years and has been one of the school’s assistant principals since 2021. She first joined CCSD and BHL in 2014 as a seventh-grade English teacher and was named the school’s Teacher of the Year for the 2017-18 academic year. She then became an instructional coach for English and social studies teachers in grades 6-8 in 2018, a position she held until her promotion to assistant principal.

“I am honored and grateful for this opportunity and am committed to engaging with students, faculty, staff, families, and community partners to support our students in making academic gains,” said Dr. Turman. “I further commit to develop a strong climate and culture in which students engage in stimulating learning experiences that support their success. I pledge to support the growth and well-being of the whole child by employing wisdom in using resources available to me. As we launch into a new school year, I look forward to collaborations that will develop and progress made as a result.”

Dr. Turman replaces outgoing principal Dr. Makeba Clark who was appointed last month to become the next principal of Cedar Shoals High School. Prior to her time with CCSD and BHL, she spent nine years as an eighth-grade English, social studies, and science teacher at Elbert County Middle School, She holds bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, and Doctorate of Education degrees from Piedmont University.

“Dr. Turman is a highly effective, data-driven instructional leader who has demonstrated a commitment to and enthusiasm for improving student learning and has earned the reputation as a role model for both students and her colleagues,” said CCSD Superintendent Dr. Robbie Hooker. “She knows the BHL community very well, and I am confident that she will uphold and strengthen the positive school culture and high expectations for academic excellence that were in place under Dr. Clark’s leadership and in which Dr. Turman played a pivotal role.”

The Clarke County Board of Education approved the appointment of Derrick Maxwell as interim principal of Clarke Middle School for the 2024-25 school year.

Mr. Maxwell will fill the opening left by outgoing principal Dr. Amanda Gorham, who has accepted a position as principal of her high school alma mater in Fulton County.

Mr. Maxwell is no stranger to CCSD, having begun his educational career in 2002 as a teacher at BHL Middle for five years. After spending a year with the District Office as an after-school program specialist, he returned to BHL as an assistant principal and was later principal of Whit Davis Elementary from 2012-2016. Following a two-year stay at Commerce Middle School as principal, he returned to CCSD in 2018 to become principal at Cedar Shoals High. Most recently, he served as principal of Winder-Barrow High School and had been with the Barrow County School System since 2019.

“Mr. Maxwell has been a long-time supporter of and advocate for Clarke County students,” said Dr. Hooker. “He not only has great familiarity with our school district, but he has a proven track record of being an effective and successful school leader. His leadership ability will be a tremendous asset to CMS during this period of transition for the school.”

Mr. Maxwell holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Georgia, a master’s in Educational Leadership and Administration from George Washington University, a specialist degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University, and is in the process of earning his Doctorate of Education in Leadership from Valdosta State University.

“I am extremely honored and excited to join the traditions and excellence already established within the entire Owl nation while creating and sustaining new levels of excellence in the beautiful and long-awaited new building,” said Mr. Maxwell. “I can’t wait to meet or reconnect with the students, staff, and community. It’s going to be a great year! Go Owls!”

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