Principals will change at two county schools
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on December 16, 2007 2:09 AM
Two Wayne County principals are departing at the end of this month, officials announced this week.
Tim Harrell, principal of Southern Wayne High School since 2006, has accepted a position as assistant principal at Princeton High School, while Jennifer Whitfield, principal at Rosewood Elementary School, is retiring.
Harrell's target date to start his new job is January 1, but will depend on Wayne County Public Schools' superintendent naming his replacement.
"Dr. (Steve) Taylor is in the process of trying to find someone," Harrell said. "I told him I would work as long as he needs me."
The departure will be bittersweet, Harrell said Friday.
"I've been in Wayne County my whole life. ... I literally grew up in the school system," he said. Raised in the Grantham community, both his mother and grandmother were educators and taught school there.
He graduated from Southern Wayne in 1993. After receiving his degree from N.C. State University, he returned to his alma mater in 1997, teaching agriculture, science and physical education. In 2003, he was named assistant principal at Carver Elementary School, returning to Southern Wayne as assistant principal from 2004-05. His first assignment as principal came in 2005, at Grantham School.
Out of his 11 years in the school system, Harrell pointed out that nine of them have been spent at Southern Wayne.
"They have been 11 wonderful years," he said. "We have got a good school (and) I have enjoyed everybody I have worked with, both the staff and the school system."
Harrell called his upcoming move "a hard decision," but something he had prayed about and "feels like God is leading me to do."
"I think it's an opportunity that will help me grow more professionally," he said. "I wanted to see what else is out there."
Mrs. Whitfield will be retiring after more than 35 years in education. She began her career with Wayne County Public Schools in 1972, as a teacher at Carver Elementary School.
The following year, she became a teacher at Eastern Wayne Elementary School, where she worked until 1998. She returned to Carver Elementary in 1973, this time as assistant principal, from 1999 until 2004.
She has been principal at Rosewood since 2004.
Veteran administrator Richard Sauls will step out of retirement to serve as principal at Rosewood Elementary. The move will also be "full circle" one for Sauls, who has previously been principal at both Rosewood middle and high schools.
Sauls' experience also includes stints as principal at Southern Wayne, Greenwood Middle, Carver Heights Elementary, and Fremont.